


The Garcia’s

by Ysl_pumps35 (Cinnamon_Schnapps)



Category: Good Girls (TV)
Genre: Abuse, Angst, Arm grabbing, Canon divergence Good Girls, Domestic Violence, F/M, Family, Family Drama, Kidnapping, Marriage, Minor Character Death, Neck Grabbing, Rough Pregnant Sex, Rough Sex, Soft Rio (Good Girls), Verbal Abuse, illegal crime, jealous Rio, sexually explicit content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-12
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:27:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 40,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24688378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cinnamon_Schnapps/pseuds/Ysl_pumps35
Summary: Elizabeth (Beth) and Christopher (Rio) Garcia were never the picture perfect couple even as teenagers, but they managed to establish a life together with Rio being the head of the largest crime organization in Detroit, Michigan, and Beth a well known pastry queen and cafe owner. They thought they would be together forever but as usual life always has other plans. Will Rio’s revenge be a dish best deserved cold? Flash backs have **
Relationships: Beth/Rio, brio
Comments: 105
Kudos: 203





	1. The Garcia’s

Beth sat in her car and stared at the clock on the dash board, it said 11:45am. Visiting hours at FCI Milan Federal Correctional Facility starts at 12 pm, and she dreaded the conversation that she would have with Rio today. Her husband had now been in prison for 4 years of a 7 year sentence for money laundering. His lawyer Gretchen Zorada had suggested he take a plea since he had no other criminal record besides a 6 month stint when he was 19 for drugs. Rio had to forfeit 2 of his properties that were in his name and half a million dollars. 

Rio had left just enough behind for his wife and children to survive and maintain their lifestyle living in a gated community, with his girls attending private school and activities. Beth had ran her own successful bakery and cafe “Marks & Co.” that he bought her on their third year anniversary. Although Rio used her business to launder money along with five others businesses, hers generated over a hundred thousand a year alone, so the feds couldn’t seize her property. 

Beth had been raising their fraternal twin girls by herself since they were 4 years-old and it was now coming up to their eighth birthday in two weeks. Gabriella (GiGi) and Isabella (Bella) were splitting images of their parents. GiGi had straight thick brown hair, a round nose and oval face, light caramel skin like Rio, and Beth’s insanely beautiful blue eyes. Bella had thick brown curly hair that went down her back, dark brown eyes and caramel skin like Rio, a round nose and oval face, and Beth’s chin dimple. 

Beth had help with the girls from her mother and sister Diane and Annie Marks, her best friend Ruby, and her brother Mickey (short for Michael) when he wasn’t doing odd jobs for the bakery and Rio, and Rio’s mom Carmela. Beth didn’t bother with asking Rio’s sisters Christina and Carolina for help because they had their own children and families.

Beth had become lonely two and a half years after Rio was incarcerated, and although she thought she could never love or be with someone else, she fell for a man who was his complete opposite. They dated casually and Brian began to want more from Beth. After a year and a half they were talking about moving in together. No one from Rio’s family knew what was going on, but Beth’s family did and on several times her mother, sister and Ruby warned her about the potential damage it could do to her relationship with Rio long term.

Brian had asked Beth to marry him three weeks ago and she had been agonizing over the proposal. Brian was a banker who managed the First National Bank of America where Beth made deposits. He had done well for himself, was single, never married, owned a condo in downtown Michigan, had investments that did well, a good education, and had no children or criminal background. Beth made sure to do her own detective work being that her husband was a wealthy high profile criminal and she had a lot to loose if Brian was pulling the wool over her eyes. He turned out to be a nice guy, he helped her out with the twins, around her house, her business, and to fulfill a place that went missing from her the day that Rio turned himself in to the Feds. 

It was 11:55 am when Beth looked at the clock again. Rio would know as soon as he saw her that she came to talk business, she never brought the children for visits when it was about business. She was afraid. She knew the lengths that Rio would go to to keep his family, to keep her, and she was afraid. Beth and Rio had been together since high school, and he went to jail when she was 34 and he was 36. All of her first experiences were with him and she loved him, he is the father of her children, her soon to be ex-husband.

She knew that it would eventually get back to him as she could not keep Brian a secret for long, so she had to tell him herself. Beth maintained contact with Rio at all times so he had no reason to question anyone else about her and the children.

It was 12:00 pm and Beth was at the entry gate being searched by the guards. She was able to get things to Rio because he had most of the morning and night guards in his pocket. Beth hates bringing in contraband but she knew that Rio wanted to send money home for her and the children to feel like he was providing for his family. She would bring in Percocet pills and alcohol by hiding them under her breasts, and because the guards knew not to physically touch her she got by every time. They also were allowed conjugal visits so they always had limited monitoring from the guards.

**Beth has chills thinking about the last time she visited Rio. That smirk that always twisted at the sides of his mouth and the dark look in his eyes when he saw her walking to the conjugal visiting room that he had been placed in not more than 5 mins ago. She had on a Hunter green knee length wrap dress that came down into a V shape with black lace around the bust and the hem, black pumps, a gold necklace with an emerald pendant, Ruby woo red lipstick, and her blond hair had grown significantly to her shoulders and Brian loved it so she kept it loose curled and long.  
She could barely speak to Rio before his hands were all over, he said “Hey hunny” as he wrapped his arms around her waist and grabbed at her ass.  
Beth smiled and whispered sweetly “Hey you” as she looked at his devilish grin that made her fall hard every time. She knew she shouldn’t continue to sleep with him and Brian, but how could she refuse, he was her husband right?!

The guard yelled to Rio that they had two hours before he left the room, and He immediately started sucking on Beth’s breast at the top of her dress leaving subtle red marks. He said “You wore this just for me baby?”  
“Yes, I thought you would like it daddy.” He growled, and when he spoke his voice was raspy and deepened “I want to hear you say it Elizabeth.” She looked at him with that lustful glare, the one that told him everything, the one that could make him come to a pause in a room full of people, only noticing her. This always turned him on. “I want you to fuck me from behind,right here on this table, and I want you to cum inside of me.” “ I want to feel your tongue on my clit while I fuck your face.” “I want to feel your cum inside of me the whole ride home as I squirm in my seat.” Rio stared at her and immediately pulled closer to Beth and she could feel his hardness through the thin prison uniform pants, and the wetness that had formed in her own panties. 

Before Beth could say another word Rio had backed her up to the table and she could feel the coldness at the back of her legs. He spun her around fast and she could feel his dick pulsating on her ass. He had both of his hands wrapped around her breast rubbing her now hard nipples through her dress, while he kissed and sucked on her neck “ Mrs. García you are mine, you belong to me”, she moaned hard. Rio took his right hand to the back of Beth’s neck and slowly lowered her torso toward the table. His left hand had slid down her body feeling every curve along the way, and began to pull her dress up slowly. Beth had on a black lace thong underwear and Rio took his right hand up and slapped her ass cheek, she moaned. 

Rio took his two right index and middle fingers and rubbed between the crotch of Beth’s panties and her pussy, she moaned hard. “How long have you been wet for me baby?” Did you ride all the way here thinking of how I was gonna suck this sweet pussy?” Beth moaned loudly, “Rio now please.” Rio didn’t even remove her underwear completely, he kept his two right fingers between the panty crotch and her pussy and pulled them to the side. He pulled down his pants and rammed all 9 inches into her hard. The sounds Beth’s pussy made was so illicit that Rio’s eyes rolled back momentarily. “Baby you feel so good, you gonna come on my dick?” Beth was gripping the top of the table hard, and her hands turning were pink, knuckles white “ohhh Rio, fuck me, I missed you so much, baby.” 

Rio gripped her hips and leaned down to place soft kisses on her face. He pulled out of her after thrusting for about 10 mins, and it caused Beth to groan as she was right at her peak. “Patience mami I want to look at that pretty face when you cum for me.” He lifted Beth up and kissed her in the mouth tongue moving so sensual in and out and biting her bottom lip until it was red. He guided them to a sofa that had a cover over it as they kissed and Rio sat down and Beth straddled him with a leg folded back at her knees on each side. Rio held her up by her hips as she tried to position herself above him, and she wiggled to try and place herself on his dick again. He chuckled. “Rio, please” she said in her softest voice pulling him into her big blue doe eyes as she reached to stroke his wet cock. He smirked and said “I love you Elizabeth”, As he lowered her slowly and thrusted into her without notice. Beth’s arms wrapped around him, head falling to his neck as her lips sucked gently leaving passion marks all over the left side on the wings of his bird tattoo.

Rio started pressing his face into her breast kissing over her milky skin. He used his left hand to undo the tie on her wrap dress. When he got it opened he immediately pulled both of her breasts out of her black laced bra, sucking her nipples one by one while palming her breasts, as she rode him enthusiastically. Rio lifted his head and he sucked on her chin dimple before running his tongue up and into her mouth kissing her hard. Beth’s moans, increasing clench around his dick, and her fast thrusts told Rio that she was peaking into her orgasm. “Look at me mami.” Beth raised her head to look into Rio’s eyes and they climaxed together as he rubbed her clit making her scream his name.**

Beth was walking through the hallways of the correctional facility in a daze, and her whole body felt like a shell that could be cracked at any moment. She came to a locked glass door with the C.O. whom she’d grown fond of over these past four years, and when she saw Rio staring at her she became frozen with fear. “Hey, I won’t be long today so if you don’t mind staying close by, I should be in and out in 20 minutes.” “No problem Mrs. Garcia, just knock at the door and I’ll be right here.” She said “Thanks, David” not wanting to alarm him that things could go awry today and get Rio in more trouble. Her mind replaying every moment within minutes of their friendship, relationship, and marriage, the birth of their children, the deaths of two others she miscarried earlier on, and here she was today armed with papers that could end it all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Good Girls fandom! I hope that you join me along for this ride, it’s gonna be good! I’m excited to get all of my ideas out in this unique space that I have grown to love so much! Leave me comments of what you liked, didn’t like, or any suggestions and I may take them into consideration with management! Who is that you ask, well me! Lol


	2. The visit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beth breaks the news to Rio about the divorce and of course the drama ensues.

Beth’s hair was pinned up into a bun at the crown of her head with tousled long curls falling at each side of her face. She had on a navy blue and white pinstripe pants suit with a white button up collar shirt on with navy blue pumps, a diamond necklace & earring Tiffany’s set she had gotten for her first Mother’s Day, her signature ruby woo red lipstick, and her wedding ring was replaced with a platinum and 6 karat engagement ring.

As soon as Beth had gotten through the door Rio immediately looked her up and down, his face showed excitement but also confusion.  
She smiled at him but it wasn’t her normal smile and he saw through the facade. He knew that she was not visiting him with good news. Beth stopped midway towards him between the tables and the door to the conjugal visit room that was already set up for them. 

She could see his demeanor had changed drastically, not warm and welcome as she saw through the door. He slipped on a mask that she hadn’t seen in years. “I see you all dressed up mama, so where are my princesses?”  
“Christopher, we need to talk”. 

Rio instantly walked over to the table where Beth was standing and he stood toe to toe with her. He looked down into her eyes to try to read her but all he could read was certainty, she has here with bad news. He took his pinky and moved her curls out of her face with his until he reached her chin to lift it with a kiss. He then kissed her hard teeth knocking into hers, and although she gasped it wasn’t of pleasure like all the times before. 

He stepped back from her and tilted his head, looking her up and down eyes dark until he had gotten the reaction out of her that he desired, fear. 

Beth stood there watching Rio and started to sit down. He eventually sat down across from her, eyes starring, still trying to understand what was happening.

Beth looked down at the table, unable to look at him because she was holding back tears. “Elizabeth, what’s going on”? They sat in silence for five minutes until she regained her composure and willed her tears away. 

“Christopher, I didn’t bring the girls because we need to talk”. “ Yeah, you said that.” “You wanna tell me what this is all about mami?” Before Beth could speak again Rio looked down at her hands confused. Beth removed them from the table and started reaching inside of her Chanel bag pulling out a stack of white papers in an envelope.

“Elizabeth where is your wedding ring?” She looked at him, tears in her eyes again, she cursed her emotions for betraying her once again. She said, “Rio, we’ve been through a lot together, we’ve shared ups and downs, a home, businesses, and two had beautiful children”. He spoke, his tone gravely low and cracking “Elizabeth, say it!”, his eyes dark and showed rage building that she hadn’t seen since high school when she had broken up with him for a month over a misunderstanding, and started seeing a football player named Dean Boland, horrible mistake.

Beth became so nervous and the words started to come out like vomit. “Christopher I didn’t mean for it to happen, I was just so lonely, I didn’t mean to fall in love with someone else, it was just a fling, he wants to marry me, and he-“. 

Rio stands up and snatches the folder with the papers out of her hands and opens it to read. He laughs, dark and sinister “You didn’t mean too, huh”? “Do you think for once that I will have another man raising my children, Elizabeth?!” “It’s bad enough my whore of a wife let him in our bed, between her legs, giving him what’s mine!” Beth started sobbing uncontrollably, and Rio just looked down at her disgusted, humiliated, and full of rage. 

He tore the papers in half and reached down to grab her jacket lapels to pull her up to face him. She was still crying and her body started to clench up in every way possible until she felt like she had no control over her limbs. He whisper-yelled, “How long, Elizabeth?!” She was frozen, crying, wishing that she had sent their attorney Gretchen instead to serve Rio the papers and the bad news. 

He yelled, “How long Elizabeth?!”. Tears now filling his eyes and Beth could not even look at him as he held her tight at her lapels, possibly bruising her breast with his fists the way he roughly jerked her forward and backward. “Look at me you cold bitch”. Beth slowly started to raise her head, and she saw tears running from both of his eyes that were full of regret and rage. 

“Two years, Christopher!”. “You mean to tell me that for two years you’ve been in a relationship with someone else while your husband is in jail?!” “You had him around my daughters, in my house, my business, between your legs?” “You came to see me, you made love to me, smiled in my face like everything was fine!”. 

He started to back them towards the wall near the table still holding onto Beth by her jacket lapels. “Does he even know about me?” “Does he know what your husband is capable of Elizabeth?” 

Beth just looked at him, unable to answer the questions, grappled with fear. She told Brian that she was divorced, that her husband had been away and did not plan on returning to his family. Beth believed that Rio was so deep into crime that he would never get out of prison, that Detective Turner would always find a reason to haul him back to jail. She had given up on Rio and she didn’t even realize it until she was confronted by the question.

Rio saw the question dancing around in her eyes, her forehead full of wrinkles. “What’s wrong, darling?” “You can’t come up with a lie that can get you out of this one, huh?”

Once he had her against the wall he let her jacket go, and went to wrap his right hand around her neck. “Rio, you’re hurting me!”, Beth yelled as she squirmed underneath his grasp. He looked at her, tears and light mascara now streaking her face and started to ease up. He said, “This is what you want, huh?” 

Beth sobbed, “Rio please just let me go, for once do something for your children, they deserve better!” “You said you would never leave us, it’s been four years!” “Christopher, I-

“Oh yeah, and you know what’s best for them?” “Confusing them having another man in our bed, our house, playing step daddy.” He laughed so sinister, she started shaking. 

“Do you think I wanted this?” “To be away from my family, so you can run around town acting like you are single, making a fool of me?”

Rio looked at her, “I will die before I let you take everything away from me!” He let her go and started to back away. “Get the fuck out of here and don’t come back!”

Beth stood against the wall, breathing hard, body frozen. She stopped crying and continued to stare at him. When she got up the nerve she slowly walked towards the table and picked up the papers and her purse, “Christopher, I never meant for this to happen, but now that it’s out I hope eventually we will get past this for our girls.” 

“Oh, Is that right Beth?”

She looked at him speechless, before she turned and knocked on the door for C.O. Dave, leaving to never come back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, do you all have your clown outfits on yet? My shoes squeaked the whole time writing this, LOL! Anyways, continue to join me along for this ride, it’s gonna be good! I’m excited to get all of my ideas out in this unique space that I have grown to love so much!


	3. Decisions 1.2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beth has a conversation with her mother Diane and with the girls about Rio, barely. As mentioned in previous chapters **** mean flashbacks! Enjoy!

Beth left the prison feeling like she had placed a hit out on her own life. She drove in silence the whole ride home, recounting every event from the time she had met Rio until today. GiGi and Bella were at her mothers, and Diane told her that she would keep them the entire weekend to give Beth time to “tie up her loose ends” as she called it. Beth stopped at the liquor store on her way home to get mints and a drink, she needed it before she got home to have dinner with Brian.

*** While at her mothers house on last Wednesday picking up the girls after work she spoke candidly to Diane. “Mom, I’m going to see Rio on Saturday, so can you keep the girls?”

“Beth what’s going on? Aren’t they supposed to go with you this time?!” 

“Mom, I’m finally going to do it and I don’t think it would be a good idea to take them with me.”

“ Beth they may be the only leverage you have from him not killing you with his bare hands right then and there!”

“Mom please!” Beth through her hands up to to silence Diane. “ I’m not going to bring my children into my mess, I’m going to do it and everything will be fine.” Beth held back tears. “He may never get out and they won’t even remember him after awhile because they are only 7, and we can all just move on from this!” “I just want to protect my girls, they don’t deserve any of this!”

“Beth, I know you hate when I involve myself in your business, but-“

“Well don’t, I’ve got this under control, everything is going to be fine...”

“I could never get through to you when it came to Christopher, even when you were teenagers, and nothing has changed now, I sincerely hope that you can live with yourself keeping those girls away from their father!”

“So it’s my fault right?, Christopher goes to jail for 7 years because he can’t clean up his act, and it’s my fault that I want to give my girls a father who will be there for them, who chooses them over being a king pin crime lord?”

Beth huffed, “ Can you watch the girls Saturday or not? Beth standing at her mothers island in the kitchen, and is wiping tears that have fallen from her face. “I can ask Ruby or Annie if it will be too much trouble.” 

“I’ll keep them on the weekend Beth, do what you need to do to tie up your loose ends.” Diane stood across from Beth with both of her hands clutched tight between a dish towel.

“Thanks mom, it’s going to be fine.” “GiGi, Bella, come on pack up, it’s time to go home.” 

That night Diane could not sleep, having the worst nightmares about Rio killing Beth. 

On the car ride home the girls sat in the back of Beth’s Navy Blue X6 BMW telling her all about their day as she listened and smiled, mind so far away from them, from everything. She tuned back in to the conversation when the girls started asking about Rio.

GiGi said “ Mommy are we going to see papi this weekend? I want to take him the necklace I made him in art class?”

Bella said “Mommy I want to see papi too! I also miss Abuela Carmela, and tias Christina and Carolina!” 

Beth hesitated before she responded. She spoke softly, calling them by the nicknames she’d often called them as babies, “Lolly daddy hasn’t been feeling well so he said not to come visit this weekend, and Smooch we’ll see them all soon ok?” “How about we have ice cream before dinner, our secret?” The girls giggled and screamed “yayyy” in unison instantly making Beth laugh out loud, pulling a smile to her face as she watched them momentarily through her rear view mirror.

Later on that night when the girls had eaten dinner, and Beth had gotten them into bed around 8:30 pm, she waited in the kitchen for Brian to arrive home. He’d told her that he had a late business dinner after work, so she cleaned the kitchen and prepped the girls lunches for tomorrow. She was almost finished when she’d heard the front door close.

“Honey, I’m home!” Beth smiled as Brian came into the kitchen behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist as he leaned in to kiss her on the neck. Beth took her free hand that wasn’t holding the spatula that she used to pick up cookies to wrap around Brian’s face and pull him into a kiss. 

“How was your day, and your important meeting!” 

“Grrr, do we have to talk about it now?”

“We can talk about whatever you want. did you actually eat dinner? Are you hungry?”

He said that he did as he went to grab a cookie off of the baking sheet. 

“Hey! That could’ve still been hot you know!” Beth laughed, “you are worse than the girls!”

“How are the little angels?”

“They are fine, they keep asking to see their a abuela and tias, so I’m going to call Carmela tomorrow to see if we can set something up for next weekend.”

“This weekend they will be with my mom, because I have to attend that meeting I was telling you about two weeks ago.”

“ Do you want me to drive up with you?”

“Oh no, it will be fine just meeting with some partners to discuss a new contract for the Martin’ super market stores that sell my pastries.” “I should be home before dinner and we can go out?!” 

“Ok I’ll be here waiting, I’ll make the reservation for Saturday at 8 pm, at London Chop House?!” 

Beth smiled, “ That sounds perfect, Hey I’m almost done here, why don’t you go and shower and I’ll join you?” 

Brian went off to the bedroom to shower and Beth stayed behind cleaning the cookie sheet pan. She pulled out her favorite coffee mug that read “I’d rather be crafting” and reached at the top of the cabinet to pull out her liquid devil, and poured herself a finger full of bourbon. 

She thought to herself “Why did the universe hate her so much by giving her everything with Rio except his ability to make time for her and the girls? “Why couldn’t Rio leave his illegal dealings behind so that they could have a normal life?!” She sighed and walked off to the en-suite to join Brian. 

Beth undressed and joined Brian in the shower before he was about to get out. The drink she had helped to calm her nerves about the conversation with her mother. 

Brian reached to kiss Beth and pull her into him with his hands grabbing for her ass. His erection already present he spun her around towards the wall in the double shower, and began to feel on her breasts roughly. He forcefully took her in the shower and Beth moaned hard with her face against the blue and cream tiles. He was done before she even began to climax, and he slapped her ass after rinsing off one more time , and exited the shower, not caring that she hadn’t finished. 

Beth delusion-ally thought you herself, “We can work on that” as she finished herself off and showered.***

Beth calls Carmela Saturday morning, the week after she last saw Rio to let her know that she would be to her house by noon with the girls. 

They arrive to Carmella’s and the girls unbuckle their seat to rush up to the house and burst through the doors. 

Beth smiled and yelled out to the girls, “Hey GiGi and Bella, please come back and shut your doors, and please help me with the food!” 

Bella started walking back to the car, and GiGi said in her whiniest voice, “Mommyy we just want to see Abuela Carmela!” 

“GiGi if you don’t come and shut my car door right now, I will pack us all up and go back home!” Beth thought, “God she is just like Rio, what the hell am I going to do when they are teenagers?!”

They pack up all of the food and desserts that Beth made carrying them in specialty bags with handles that Beth uses for deliveries at work and head into the house to unpack. Beth thought to herself that that day she would also have to unpack some uncomfortable information with Carmela on today, and she already longed for five long shots of bourbon.


	4. Decisions 2.2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beth calls the prison to check up on Rio and has a confrontation with her brother Mick in front of Ruby and Annie.

Beth and the girls greeted Carmela as they entered through the house each giving her a hug and kiss on the cheek. Beth told Carmela that she would put the food away while she spent time with the girls, but the girls went to the playroom and Carmela followed Beth into the kitchen. She spoke with a heavy Spanish accent, “Elizabeth, you didn’t have to bring anything, I’ve been cooking since last night!” 

Beth laughed, “Carmela you know I could not come here empty handed the way that your grandchildren eat!”

Carmela scoffed, “ Well I cant tell, they are so tall and skinny!” 

Beth hesitates before she responded, “ I can assure you they eat very well, besides they take after your son!” She giggled.

“Yes, and have you spoken to my Christopher, your husband?” “I have not spoken to him in over a week, and when I called the prison they said that he isn’t taking any phone calls!” “I have never gone this long without talking to mi amor”.

If Beth’s eyes were light bulbs they would’ve blown out. Beth settled into her seat at Carmelas kitchen table with her fingers intertwined and forearms on the table. 

“Carmela, I wanted to talk to you later on today when the girls laid down for a nap, but I guess we should have the conversation now.” Beth finished up unloading the food and gestured for Carmela to sit with her at the table.

“There is no easy way to say this but it has to be done”. Carmela looked at Beth with confusion, tilting her head slightly almost resembling Rio.

“Christopher and I will always love each other, our girls, and our families, but we have decided that we should separate.” “I visited him last Saturday and being honest he didn’t take it very well, so that may be the reason why he is refusing phone calls.”

Carmela gasped, she stared at Beth, then her hands, then back at her face. “So Christopher gives you a new ring and this is how you repay him?” Carmela’s warm and loving demeanor all but fading and Beth’s discomfort grew.

“Christopher didn’t give me this ring, my fiancé Brian did, and we are going to get married when I get a divorce.” Beth spoke confidently looking at Carmela. 

“Why, Why Beth, how could you do this to him?” “You know how much he loves you and those girls!” She pointed towards the room that the girls occupied. 

Beth had tears in her eyes as she spoke, “Carmela, your granddaughters deserve more, I deserve more, Rio has been gone for four years and who knows how many more it will be?” “They said 7, but who’s to say that they won’t find another reason to lock him up again? What am I supposed to do without him?”. Beth through her hands up in the air, exhausted. 

“ Beth said, “ Before the girls were even born I begged Christopher to go straight and he didn’t, he made so many promises to me, and he broke them.” 

“Our girls will be 11 years old when he gets out of prison and they barely know him at all!” “Between prison and when he was out he was always busy, could barely make birthdays, recitals, or doctors appointments!” 

“They deserve a father and I have to do what’s best for my babies!”

Carmela got up from the table and pushed her chair in, “ Do you know what this will do to my son? How much this will destroy him?”

Carmela clutched onto the back of the chair, knuckles white. She stared at Beth like she was her worse enemy. 

“ The girls can stay for however long you need Beth, but I need you to go!” 

She turned her back away from Beth and started rummaging through the cabinets mumbling, “Estupida Mujer!”. 

Beth looked like she had been hit by a car after Carmela said, “ you stupid woman,” and told her to get out so cold. Carmela nor Rio ever called her Elizabeth, she was hurt. Carmela was like a second mother to her, and Rio’s sisters were like sisters.

She immediately went to to pack up her things and said “I wasn’t gonna wait for that phone call that Rio had been murdered, or watch my children suffer because other children at school have fathers to attended daddy-daughter dances.” “I’m sorry that you can’t understand that Carmela.” 

“I’ll pick the girls up tomorrow by noon!”

Beth regained her composure but started feeling so nauseous, she called the girls out of the playroom before she left, “Bella, GiGi come to the living room please!” 

She could hear the girls running through the house before they came to a full stop crashing into her waist and legs almost making her loose her balance. They hugged onto her tight, and it gave Beth a momentary comfort.

She kissed the top of their heads one at a time, and she spoke.

“Mommy’s not feeling too good, so you two are going to stay with Abuela Carmela until tomorrow, ok?” 

The girls took a step back from Beth, holding each other’s hands, and looked up at her. Beth was still trying to hold back tears from her conversation with Carmela. 

In unison, the girls spoke at the same time. Bella saying, “awww mommy, who’s going to take care of you if we are here?”, followed by GiGi, “Mommy what’s wrong?”.

“Mommy is fine you guys, I just need to go home and lay down.” “Please be good for your Abuela and I want to have a good report when I pick you up tomorrow!” “Brush your teeth, bathe, and comb your hair before bed please!”

They both whinned, “Mommyy!”

“Lolly, Smooch, not another word ok?” “We can all leave right now!” Beth put on her most serious face and stare to look at her two angels. 

The girls once again in unison spoke, “Sorry mommy.” 

Beth smiled at them and said, “ok give me hugs, I’m going to miss you two so much!”

Beth left Carmela’s after she finished talking to the girls. Carmela never left the kitchen after their conversation.

Bella and GiGi watched her leave from inside of the glass screen door waving until she was out of sight. 

Beth went home and drunk herself into a stupor, she was in the bed out cold by the time Brian had arrived home that evening from whatever it was that he had to do that day.

The next day she woke up feeling terrible, and she drank two cups of coffee, and took two aspirins, after vomiting for what felt like forever around 10 am. Brian was already gone to play golf with some of his work buddies, a ritual he had claimed to have for years on Sundays. 

Beth texted Carmela that she would be there in 20 mins to get the girls, and of course she didn’t reply. 

When Beth arrived she pulled into the drive way and honked her horn. She noticed Carolina’s car was in front of hers but she figured that everyone had heard the bad news, and it wasn’t any use to go into Carmela’s just to have another argument with his sister. Five minutes later the girls ran out of the house towards her car with no Carmela in sight, only Carolina, watching the girls from the door. 

Beth waved at her, and Carolina just stared back at her as if she was willing Beth’s car to burst into flames.

Three weeks later

It had now been three weeks since Beth had visited Rio and tried to get him to sign the divorce papers, and she hadn’t heard anything from him or his family. 

*** She called the jail the morning of Bella and GiGi’s birthday asking for C.O. David. “Hi David, this is Beth, umm, has Rio been taking calls?”

David hesitated, “ uhhh Mrs. G, your husband has requested that he be in solitary inside of his room.” “He barely ate the week after you came and he has been refusing phone calls and visits.” 

“ I also gotta tell you that he was on suicide watch for two weeks.” “He doesn’t look too good, are you coming to visit him soon by any chance he’s causing a lot of trouble around here and people are a little worried if you know what I mean?”

Beth was silent for 3 minutes before she spoke again, and David thought that the phone got disconnected. “Mrs. G, are you still there?”

“Sorry, yes David I’m still here.” “No, I won’t be able to make it, and I just called because today is our children’s birthday, and they have been asking about him.” 

“ I’m sorry to worry you with this, but thank you!” Beth hung up the phone knowing that the worse was yet to come. 

She ran to the bathroom nearly vomiting all over her bathrobe. 

Bella and GiGi’s 8th birthday came and went on September 4th, with her having a small party at the house that consisted of her mother, Annie, Ruby, Stan and Sara, her brother Mickey, Brian, and some of the girls classmates. Beth did a carnival theme with a bounce house, games, with carnival food and desserts. The girls barely got out of their birthday dresses that night to go to bed, they were so worn out. It was the beginning of Fall and the weather was still nice, not to hot or cold. ***

Four weeks later

Beth was in the house one weekday evening late September talking to Annie and Ruby at the kitchen table when Mickey came in through the back door. Ruby and Annie were drinking bourbon and Beth had opted for tea these days because she hadn’t been feeling well.

Beth was the oldest, then it was Michael (Mick or Mickey), and then by the time Annie was born their Father Michael Marks Sr. was already half way out of the door, leaving their mom to raise three children alone. Rio had taken Mickey under his wing when he started dating Beth, so he had always been a big brother to Mick. 

She had just been telling them that she hadn’t been feeling well ever since she spoke to C.O. Dave, and she was going to see her doctor the following day.

Mickey startled them, “ Beth, we need to talk now!” He paced back and forth by the door. 

“Ooo-kay.” “What did I do now Mickey?” She through her arms up to the sides of her and they came down and made a slapping sound on her hips.

He looked at Beth, and then at Ruby and Annie, giving them a nod.

“It’s just Ruby and Annie, so what is it?”

“I don’t like to get into you and Rio’s marriage problems, but when it’s interfering with me I have a problem!”

“He fucking told Cisco to let me go today!”

“ what the fuck is this about Beth?” Mick’s face was turning red, and his eyes looked like he was mentally strangling someone. 

Beth looked and Ruby and Annie and then back at Mickey. “Mick I am divorcing Rio, me and Brian are getting married!”

Mick looked stunned, he took his left hand up to the bridge of his nose and and used his two index fingers to squeeze the pressure points. 

“Beth, you never think about anyone else when you are making decisions!” 

“Do you understand what the fuck you are doing?” “For Christ’s sakes I thought you were just fucking the guy, but marriage?!”

“Does mom know about this?!”

Beth stood silent shocked by Mick’s outburst, “Mom, Annie, and Ruby have known for some time now.” “Look, I didn’t want to involve anyone else!”

“So everyone but me?!” Mick pointed to his chest , “I’ve been completely shut out and I don’t know how to help you, or my nieces!” 

“You are on your own Beth!” Mick left slamming the door. 

Beth ran to the bathroom sobbing and holding her stomach, she had to vomit again.


	5. The burning woman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beth finds out news and has to deliver it to her sisters and Brian. 
> 
> This chapter is very content heavy so please read all of the tags! I have so many ideas for this specific story and I want to get it out.
> 
> As usual anything in the past has **** in the beginning and ending!

The next day Beth dropped the twins off to school and went to her doctors office. Dr. Johansson has been Beth’s doctor since she became pregnant with the twins 8 years ago, and they have established a good rapport. 

“Mrs. Garcia, How are you today?”

“ I am fine thank you, besides not feeling well for a couple weeks.”

“Well let’s get your checked out, and see what’s going on.”

“How are the girls doing, and Christopher?”

“ They are doing well, they just turned 8!” Beth pulled out her phone beaming to show a photo of her beautiful girls at their birthday party. 

“Wow Beth, they are so beautiful and tall, and they look just like you and Christopher!” The doctor smiled.

“Christopher’s fine, he’s just doing his time you know.”

“And how are you all doing with that?”

“The girls miss him, sometimes I miss him, but what can we do?” Beth shrugs her shoulders.

Dr. Johansson nodded her head in agreement.

“Well Beth your blood pressure and vital signs came back good, whats say we have you give us a urine sample and some blood today?” 

“Ok, that’s fine, maybe it’s just been all the stress that I’ve been going through lately.”

“Well, that’s not good, let’s get these tests done so we can rule out anything else, and when the results come back in we will look at our next steps. My secretary will call you to schedule an appointment in a few days.

Beth gave the samples and left to go to the cafe to see how business was going.

When she first walked into Marks & Co. she saw it was so busy because of the lunch rush, two of her favorite and longest working employees Lorraine and CeCe on the front line, as well as other valued staff that she hired of the years.

Beth smiled, “Good morning everyone!”

Lorraine spoke to Beth reaching in for a side hug. “Hey boss lady, how are my girls?”

“Hi Lorraine, they are great! They just had their 8th birthday a few weeks ago! They are running my life of course!”

“ Hey, when you get a chance can you come into my office?”

Beth walked over to hug CeCe, and to let her know that she was just going to snatch Lorraine away for a minute once the line went down to get a report on how the cafe had been doing. 

CeCe said, “ No problem Beth, but Ruby, Annie and Mick have been coming by regularly so everything had been going smoothly for the most part.” “We May need to hire more staff in awhile due to the holidays coming up!”

Beth said, “OMG CeCe, thank you for reminding me! I have been so busy and I nearly forgot that they were going into the first week in October!” “ I’ll get some flyers together for a seasonal holiday event and you and Lorraine can alternate with me on new hire interviews in two weeks.” “ I want you two to have a choice in who you are working with.”

“ No problem Beth, we gotcha boo!” 

Beth went to go into her locked office greeting her pastry and bakery staff in the back. She kept her door locked because she had locked file cabinets with audit and business information inside. 

Beth spoke to Lorraine about the ongoings of the cafe while she did some paper work that day, and let her know that she hasn’t been feeling well but to call her on her work cell if they had any issues that were beyond their control. Beth also told Lorraine to get together with CeCe to let her know what evenings they could alternate to join her for the hiring event. 

Beth was instantly reminded of how she had wanted to open up three more cafes in Michigan, but her plans were derailed when Rio had been arrested and sentenced to 7 years. At this moment she was happy that she didn’t open more cafes because being a single mom was a full time job already. 

Beth left the cafe around 2 pm after making some flyers for the hiring event, so that she could pick up the girls and take them to their dance class by 3 pm.

Three days later

Beth was sitting in her doctors office when she got the news. “Pregnant, are you sure?!” 

Beth was sobbing uncontrollably, as Dr. Johansson looked at her holding her test results. 

“Beth, although you are not young you are still menstruating and are quite healthy, so you had to have known it could be a possibility.”

“I think Rio will be very excited, despite his circumstances, you two always talking about having at least one more child.”

Beth instantly froze and stopped crying. “How many weeks did you say I was?”

“ I didn’t yet, but looking at the test results I would say that you are about three and a half months along.”

Beth instantly began to panic. She thought back to the last time she remembered taking her birth control, her last menstrual cycle, the last time saw Christopher and felt him, and also a couple days ago when she slept with Brian. She felt like she was going to be sick.

Dr. Johansson places her hand on Beth’s shoulder, “Beth I’m going to give you a few minutes to think about all of this, it’s going to be ok, you’ve done very well for yourself!”

Dr. Johansson left the room and Beth began to sob as quiet as she could into her scarf. 

How could she tell Brian that she was pregnant?! Better yet that she didn’t know if the child was his, or her husbands whom she claimed she had no contact with for 4 years?

Beth called Annie and Ruby on three way as soon as she left the doctors office. 

“Honey, what’s wrong?!”

“Yeah Beth, what is going on what you lately? We haven’t heard from you since Mick blew his shit in your kitchen!”

“I’m pregnant!” Beth sobbed hard. She can’t remember the last time she’d cried this hard. Then she remembered the first week she had to sleep alone when Rio went to prison.

“Oh. My. God. Beth!” Ruby was verbally shocked and Beth could picture her face through the phone having been friends for more than half of their lives.

“Holy shit Beth, what are you going to do?!” 

Beth was still crying, “I don’t know! and what’s worse is I don’t know who the father is!” at this point she was scream-yelling.

Ruby and Annie had to turn their volumes down on their phones.

“B, do you need us to come over?!”

Beth was quiet, well except for the sniffling they heard through the receiver.

Finally, she spoke “I need someone to take the girls tonight.”

Ruby spoke first, “The twins can stay over tonight with Sara, stan has to work the late shift, and I’ll make sure they get to school tomorrow.”

“Beth, I’m really worried about you, are you sure you don’t want us to come over?!”

“Annie, it’s going to be fine, I’m going to make dinner and tell Brian tonight.”

“I just want us to be alone tonight when I give him the news, the girls don’t know yet.”

“Omg Beth are you sure that’s a good idea?! I mean what the hell, have you ever even seen that guy mad? I mean you know what Rio is like, which I can’t imagine anyone scarier, but still!”

“Ruby I’ll pick up the girls and bring them over by 3:30 pm , and I’ll call you guys tomorrow.” 

Beth hung up the call. She thought, I’m just gonna get it over with today, I’m going to cook his favorite meal, and it will be fine, we will get through this. 

Did I already say that the universe hates her sometimes?! Oh.

Beth picked up Bella and GiGi after going home and packing them an overnight bag. They wore uniforms to Detroit Country Day School, so she didn’t have to worry about them arguing about dressing alike or if one had something the other didn’t, they could be so particular sometimes. 

They were excited to see their cousin Sara so they didn’t even argue with her when she dropped them off at Ruby’s house. 

Beth hugged everyone and left to head home to prepare for her evening with Brian. 

*** They had met on the occasions she had to go into the bank to deposit money. He was always so nice and cheerful, and it didn’t take long for her to notice that he really had an interest in her other than helping to handle her accounts.

Beth started bringing in pastries for the bank staff when she would visit, and because she knew that Brian couldn’t ask her out she decided to give him her number. They talked for two months on the phone getting to know each other, mostly because Beth was so busy with the girls and the cafe. 

Beth had sent the girls with Carmela one weekend and she invited Brian out for drinks. They had a good first date and continued to see each other at least twice a week for about six months before they got intimate. No one could ever compare to Rio and Beth knew that, but Brian was different. 

She was really only looking for someone to keep her bed warm occasionally and maybe take her on a few harmless dates, but then it started to get serious. One and a half years later and Brian had moved into her home with the girls, and they were engaged. The girls were shy at first but because Brian was so nice they warmed up to him calling him, Mr. Brian.

When Beth had decided that she would let him move in she had a conversation with the twins. 

“ Bella, GiGi, mommy’s friend Mr. Brian is going to move in with us, how do you feel about that?”

GiGi spoke first saying, “But what about Papi, where is Papi going to sleep when he comes home?”

“Papi is not coming home for a long time babies, he is away right now, and I don’t know how long he will be gone.”

“I want you two to have a dad, someone who can be here all the time . Your Papi will always be your daddy, but he is not able to be here right now.”

Bella said, “Do you like Mr. Brian mommy?”

“Yes smooch I do, very much!”

Both of the girls looked at each other, and started whispering in each other’s ears. After 2 mins GiGi spoke, “ Mommy can we have some time to think about it, just me and Bella!” 

Beth smiled as she stood to her feet, “Sure, I’m going to get dinner ready, wash your hands and meet me in the kitchen when you are done if you want to help me!”

Both girls said, “Okay.”

The girls came down to the kitchen with Beth after what seemed like an hour of “twin titans” deliberation as Beth called it, and said, “mommy we want you to be happy, you miss Papi and you like Mr. Brian, so we think it’s ok for him to move in with us too!” 

Brian was different, he was able to provide her with some of the stability that Rio never could, so what if the sex was subpar, she could live with that for everything else that he offered.

That night after dinner while everyone was in bed asleep Beth was folding laundry and her thoughts went to Rio, and their 5th year wedding anniversary.

Beth and Rio had been together for 22 years, 13 of which they were married. They started dating when she was 16 and he was 18, and had gotten married at 25 years-old. Diane had tried to stop Beth from seeing Rio, because she wanted Beth to finish school and go to college. Beth would sneak out and see Rio and soon it seemed as if nothing could keep them apart, even when Rio landed himself in jail for 6 months in Beth’s senior year. Diane sat down and had a long talk with Beth and Rio, and realized that he loved her daughter, had taken care of her, and wanted the best for her too, so she gave her blessing.

December 4th-(8 years-ago)

It was their anniversary and she had planned a romantic dinner at London Chop House, and booked the presidential suite at The MGM Grand Detroit for the weekend, Rio loved that it had a personal concierge, spa, hot tub, pool, casino, night club, and shopping all in one place. She had spent all day getting pampered fixing her hair, nails, facial, and a Brazilian wax. 

Rio never showed up that night because of a screw-up with a drop involving Dags and a customer. The customer ended up dead with a bullet through the eye, and they had to get rid of the body. Beth was home alone in that 5 bedroom house and waiting for him, again. He was already dreading the argument that would ensue.

Beth dials Rio’s cellphone at 11:45 pm for the 8th time since she started drinking at 8 pm. He was supposed to pick her up at 7:30 pm to make their reservation. She’s still in her dress and make up, sans shoes, sitting on the kitchen floor with a bottle of bourbon, and a carton of strawberry ice cream. 

Her voicemails grew more irrational the more she drank.

11:45 pm

“I hate you”

11:50 pm  
“Hey you jackass! I know you see me calling youuu, you ruined our day! Fuck, is this still recording?!....”

11:55 pm  
“I’m leaving you and I’m not coming back this time. When you get home I’m not gonna be around. Asshole....” 

12:00 am  
She cried into the phone, “ I am your wife, your wife, and you promised you wouldn’t work today; No no no, my phone is dying and I don’t have a charger, I hate you!”

12:05 pm  
“Have a nice life dumbass! You are never gonna see me again and I want a divorce!”

When Rio finally got home at 4:30 am the next day he searched all through the house looking for Beth. He found her asleep on the kitchen floor cradling a bottle of bourbon, with the ice cream container half full and melting. He cleaned up the mess and carried Beth to bed.

She opened her eyes while he was undressing her and said “Christopher, you came home.”

He took his pinky finger and caressed the right side of Beth’s face down to her chin, moving her bangs and hair behind her ear.

“Baby, I’m sorry I didn’t get to take you out last night, Dags got into some trouble, but I’m going to make it up to you ok?!”

“Don’t be mad at me, please.”

Tears weld up in Beth’s eyes as she looked up at him.

“Baby, please don’t cry, please, I’m sorry I ruined our night.”

He reached down on the bed to kiss her forehead, and Beth pulled him by his shirt down to her lips. 

“Mami, you want it?”

Beth nodded her head yes.

Rio undressed and got into bed on top of Beth. His body was warm and Beth immediately started to feel heat settle between her legs, and writhed beneath him. 

Rio stared into her beautiful blue eyes, they looked so empty, so sad, and she had dried mascara and tear marks staining her face. 

His voice was low and raspy when he finally broke the silence again, “Elizabeth, tell me what you want and I promise I will do it, I’ll do anything to make it up to you.”

“I want you to be happy.”

Beth could feel Rio’s erection growing on top of her, and at that moment she asked for the only other thing that would make her happy, that would make her feel whole, and less lonely when Rio wasn’t home.

Beth had experienced two miscarriages earlier on in their marriage that caused her to become depressed, and they had stopped trying to have a baby until she was ready. 

She spoke softly, “Christopher, I want us to have a baby, I’m ready to try again.”

Rio smiled and placed his arms on the bed underneath Beth’s shoulders and arms to hold her in place and bring them closer, and without further delay he pushed into Beth’s already wet pussy and she moaned loudly. Rio sucked on Beth’s chin dimple, before working his way up to her mouth tongue kissing her sensually. He whispered to her all of his inner most feelings the whole time he made love to her that early morning. Beth’s arms were wrapped around Rio’s waist grabbing at his chiseled ass, as he stroked into her slowly. 

“Elizabeth, look at me!”

“I love you ok? No one else but you.”

“ You are gonna look so beautiful carrying our kid.”

Beth whimpered low and soft, “ooohhh, Rio!”

“I’m always going to want you, nothing can keep us apart, and we are gonna have a family, Ma.”

Rio bent his head down to suck Beth’s pink nipples into his mouth, taking turns on each one, but still stroking into her slowly. 

Beth’s moans grew louder and he could feel her pussy clenching around his dick.

“We gonna cum at the same time ok mami?”

“Ooohhh, yes Rio right there!”

“Elizabeth, cum on my dick, yeah.”

“Your pussy is so sweet, it’s only sweet for me, yeah?”

Rio stroked in and out of her coming deep inside of her and he felt her release around him. He kissed her head, both cheeks, her nose, and then her mouth.

He told her, “ You are mine, Your body is mine, Your pussy is mine, Your Love is mine.”

Speaking at the same time they both said, “I love you”. 

She cried in the laundry room before she went to bed that night, and by morning she was giving Brian the good news. ****

Beth had prepared filet mignon medium well, mashed potatoes, and asparagus for dinner. She also made a creme brûlée dessert and she bought a bottle of Lagavulin Whiskey for Brian, it was expensive, but also his favorite scotch.

Beth bathed and re-dressed in a 3/4 sleeve black satin dress that laced up in the back from her neck down to the beginning of her behind, silver accessories, and black Jimmy Choo pumps with a silver heel. She re-curled her hair and let it fall down in loose curls. She had let her bangs grow out with the rest of her hair and wore a right side part. 

If she had thought further ahead she could’ve just worn the hospital gown that she saved from delivering the twins 8 years ago, because tonight it would've come in handy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for leaving you on a cliff hanger but I had a small request to fulfill and it actually fit in this chapter. I’ll just be honest this is #BrioNation and I wasn’t gonna elaborate heavily on Brian at all lmao, but after I was asked I actually generated so many ideas! Lol. In chapter 6, I am hoping to close out this chapter, get Rio’s POV in as well as some other things that will start happening directly to Beth as a result of trying to divorce Rio!


	6. Repentance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beth has to recover from one of her many messes. She and Rio both have regrets. Rio makes plans with Cisco to win Beth back. As usual *** mean flashbacks. This chapter is heavy content with Rio’s POV.

The dinner didn’t go as planned. The moment Beth told Brian that she was pregnant she found herself nearly eating his dinner plate along with her own when he hurled it across the table, nearly cracking her face open. 

Beth hadn’t even mentioned Rio, before Brian was already telling her it wasn’t his “bastard” child. Apparently he had developed Peyronie’s disease and had become impotent after a sports accident years ago in high school that he’d forgotten to mention, but it started to explain a lot for Beth regarding their sex life after she did some research a couple days later.

As Beth laid on her dining room floor slipping in and out of consciousness she thought to herself, “why does the universe hate me so much?!”

The next day Beth woke up in her bed with a headache so severe she could barely open her left eye. She laid there silent for a minute just listening to the sounds in the house. She lifted the covers up and she was still fully dressed with food stains on her favorite dress. Brian must’ve put her in the bed, “how sweet,” she thought to herself sarcastically. It was quiet for awhile so she took her time sitting up on the bed, so that she could get to the edge and try to go into the en-suite to access the damage to her face. 

She looked at the clock on her nightstand and it said 9 am. Brian had probably either left last night or had stayed, and had already left for work.

She would have to pick up her girls today from school and she needed to know if make up would be able to cover Brians colorful artwork from his show last night. She went to reach into her nightstand for her rose gold baby glock 26, and it was gone, she became frantic when her mind began to work overtime. 

She thought to herself, “When is the last time I had it? Did I lock it up?” “If Brian doesn’t kill me, Rio will if he finds out about all of this!”

“Wheres my gun? Omg, where is my phone?, omg he’s gonna kill me, my kids, I’m not going to see my kids again!”

She held her stomach as tears started to form in her eyes. Beth immediately started looking for her purse so that she could find her phone. She looked around her room and didn’t see it on the bed, hanging on the door, or the ottoman, so she stood up to walk into the en-suite. She walked into her boudoir and opened the safe that had her and Rio’s valuables, passports real and fake, jewelry, money that they couldn’t take to the bank, bonds, and guns, right, she got comfortable enough to lock the gun back up. Her and Rio’s guns were in the safe. She checked to make sure they were loaded and the safety latches were off before locking it back.

She was relieved. Beth walked back to her room and locked her bedroom door and moved the nightstand over to block the door from being opened just in case he was still in the house. 

She was horrified to see her face when she looked into the mirror. The upper left side of Beth’s face was bruised and swollen with purple bruises on her eye, forehead and cheeks. Blood had dried up on her forehead where she had a laceration the size of a small bandaid and she was in pain. 

She said to herself out loud, “Annie was right, I must be in the twilights zone!”

She closed her right eye and opened it again only to see her badly bruised face, and said, “ 

Nope, this is really my life right now!”

Her purse must be still in the kitchen she thought as she cleaned up and showered. When she finished showering she sat on the edge of her bed dressing in jeans and a sweatshirt, quietly listening to the sounds of the house and outside. 

Beth moved the nightstand back by her bed, and opened the door. She walked closely along the walls as she made her way down the steps towards her kitchen clutching the banister tight. It was a mess, food on the table and floors, and dried blood from where she laid for god knows how long. She looked on the island in the kitchen, and her purse was still there from when she came in last evening.

She immediately rushed over to look inside for her cellphone. Great. It was on 30% and she had 3 missed calls from Ruby, 7 calls from Diane, 3 texts from Annie, and 2 from Brian. She called Diane first and she could hear the anxiety in her mother’s voice. 

“Omg Beth are you alright?, Annie told me that your were pregnant and were going to tell Brian! Is everything ok?”

Beth held back tears, “Mom I’m ok, everything is fine. Listen, can you keep the girls for me for a few days?! I’m not feeling well and I don’t want them to see me like this.”

“Beth, are you sure that you are alright? I can come stay with you and the girls and help out with whatever you need.”

“Mom, I don’t think that’s a good idea, so can you please keep them? I’ll bring some clothes over before they get out of school today so you’ll have everything you need.”

“Sorry, what day is it again ?”

“It’s Thursday Beth, you don’t sound too good honey.”

“Ok, the girls don’t have any after school activities today so I usually take them to the park after school.”

“Mom I’m going to be over in an hour to drop everything off ok?”

“Ok, I love you Beth!”

“Love you too mom.”

Beth texted Annie and Ruby to let them know that everything was fine, and told them that she was alright but that the girls would by staying at Diane’s for a few days. She thanked Ruby for keeping the girls, and told them both that she would be home from work for a few days.

They both asked if she was ok and she replied, “I’m ok, but not feeling too well.” They continued to text and she never replied, not able to handle the barrage of questions coming her way so soon. She knew eventually one of them would pop up at her house anyway and summon the other to join. They never went long without seeing or talking to each other even if they were mad.

She read Brian’s texts next, “Beth, I’m sorry. I want to talk and work it out, love Brian.”

Beth never replied but figured he would show up again sooner or later at her house.

Beth cleaned up the kitchen, ate a light breakfast because her stomach started cramping, and packed up a duffle bag for the girls with uniforms and play clothes for the weekend.

1.5 hours later

Beth texted her mom to let her know that she was outside and Diane came out to the car, because after a back and forth she realized Beth wasn’t coming inside.

As soon as she saw the dark black glasses on Beth she knew that Brian had hit her daughter.

“Beth, what did he do?! Omg, are you alright? 

Diane stood at Beth’s car door window and cried, reaching out to hold her hands in hers.

“Mom, it’s ok, he was just upset, everything is going to be fine! It was my fault but I’m going to fix it ok?!”

“Beth, let me see your face.”

Beth took off her glasses, and Diane gasped at what she saw. Beth’s eye was swollen shut and half of her face was covered in bruises.

“Beth you have to call Rio so he can get someone to be at the house with you! You can’t let Brian get away with this!”

Beth put her glasses back on as she spoke, “Mom no! Just stay out of it ok? Just please, keep the girls for me and I’ll deal with Brian, it’s on me. I haven’t spoken to Rio in over a month and he’s refusing to sign the divorce papers.” 

“He didn’t even call to wish his children a happy birthday. I don’t want him involved in my life anymore, and I can’t disappoint my girls. Just please look after them, and let them know that I’ll call every night before they go to bed.” 

Beth knew she was making a mistake but she felt like she couldn’t come back from all the damage she had done. 

Beth left Diane’s house and went back home, to wait for Brian.

Brian came home that night around 7 pm to find that Beth had locked herself in her room. He sat outside of her door talking to her all evening until about 11 pm until she finally felt comfortable to let him come inside. She explained to him about Rio and he apologized for hitting her and promised not to do it again. He said that he understood why she hid her husband from him and that he still wanted to be with her and the girls.

Things seemed to be ok until he went into the kitchen and saw all of the flowers that covered the island and floor beneath it, and a confused Beth was immediately being walked out of the room by her hair to her kitchen that had become a flower shop within hours.

Beth said that her mother and sisters sent them over to congratulate her on the baby, she lied. Beth had no idea of who sent those flowers to her house or how they had gotten in without her hearing. Red roses covered her kitchen and thank god no card was left behind because she did not think her baby could handle another incident like last night.

A month ago- A day after Beth visited Rio

The cell door opens, “Garcia, man come and get your tray!” 

“I don’t want it, take it back!”

Rio hadn’t eaten for three days after his visit with Beth, and had requested solitary confinement to his room.

The day that Beth left the prison he had all but destroyed a conjugal visit room leaving furniture and property in disarray. 

After that, 6 days later a guard found him unconscious and he had to be rushed to the infirmary because he took the pills that he was supposed to be selling to other inmates. Beth had not called him like he thought she would to tell him it was all a joke, that she was just having a bad day, or because she was mad at him for being away so long, she was serious and he started to feel every thing in his body hurt.

He was indeed causing a lot of trouble for the guards in the prison when the warden had requested his cell be searched, and they found more pills and bottles of alcohol. 

No officers were let go because the warden had been payed by him as well, but after a talk with Rio when he had finally woke up in the infirmary he was clear that he was not to bring any contraband into the jail anymore, or he would suggest more time be added to his sentence. 

Rio just looked at the ceiling during the whole conversation and didn’t say a word. A week and a half went by and he was back into his cell again. He refused some meals, all phone calls, and visits no matter who called. Davis had stopped by his room on a shift to let him know that Beth had called today.

“Hey Mr. G, I just wanted to let you know that Mrs. G called, she said it was your twins birthday. Did you want to call them? She seemed pretty worried.” “Also, your mother has been calling too!”

“Nah, and if she calls again tell her I said to leave me the fuck alone, just like that yeah?! You have my permission!”

“I’ll call my mother soon.” “ I don’t want to talk to anyone right now!”

“Uhhhh okay Mr. G!”

Rio’s emotions went from being somber to angry, and then being remorseful to menacing very fast. He thought, “If she wants to leave me fine, but she won’t have her new life so easily.” “I’m going to make her life a living hell after what she did to me!” He was menacing at this point but full of plans, the light that was dim in his eyes had rekindled.

He thought to himself, “Elizabeth and I are soulmates, I can’t live without her, and if she tries to live without me, I’ll make it unbearable!” He laughed and it echoed in the cell, remembering the last time Beth had broken up with him, and dated Dean Boland for a month. It was the worst month of his and her life up until now. 

21 years ago

*** Beth was 17 and Rio was 19. Beth had just arrived to Rio’s house to surprise him because she had left school early being that she had all of her credits met to graduate in June. She saw Rio talking to a girl named Tanya from school that she hated standing with him on his front porch. 

Beth sat in her car watching the interaction, and was fuming. She said to herself, “who does this bitch think she is? She’s always trying to flirt with him in my face and now she’s at his house? How dare he cheat on me with her! After he took my virginity!” “He said he loved me!” She saw Tanya step further into Rio’s space, and she nearly took her car door of the hinges trying to get to his porch.

She was full of rage and tears when she got out of the car, and ran over to the porch swinging at Rio and Tanya, hitting Tanya twice in the face before Rio could grab her by the waist and carry her inside. Tanya stood on the porch for 5 minutes confused until she realized they weren’t coming back and she left.

“Get your hands off of me Rio!” 

Beth was trying to fight Rio, but he had taken her arms and wrapped them around each side of her waist with his and held onto her tight from behind.

“ Elizabeth, I’ll let you go when you calm down! What are you doing here anyway?!”

“Oh am I interrupted something special?!” “Were you in the middle of trying to get everyone else’s sloppy seconds?!”

Rio was silent. Beth was still trying to get out of his grasp. After about 10 minutes of not being able to get out she finally calmed down so Rio could let her go.

She spun around so fast and slapped him in the face, “I hate you and I never want to see you again!” She ran out of his house and drove off. She cried herself to sleep for a few days after until she decided she was done sulking. Beth had tried to forget about Rio by blocking his number and any random ones that called her from time to time. He never left voice mails because then she would know it was really him and change her number. 

That night Rio was arrested for possession of a pound of weed . He was sentenced to 6 months in jail the next day because he had no prior arrests.

Rio had been in jail over a month and Beth didn’t even know, she had just assumed he moved on with Tanya.

Beth just wanted to finish up her senior year of school, and focus on college. Dean Boland had always showed interest in her and had asked her to the senior prom, she was single now so why not? Beth had started dating Dean and they seemed to get along well. She told him that she wanted to take it slow so they never did anything besides making out in his car. 

Two months after Rio went to jail Beth started experiencing weird things happening. Cars sitting outside of her house at night, things being re-arranged in her room while she was out, flowers were delivered like clock work every 5 days to her house, she would come home to gifts that she didn’t order like jewelry and clothes, and the constant feeling that she was being followed all the time. The weirdest thing of all was what happened whenever she saw Dean. His tires would always get slashed on his car if they had a date, and one time it even got vandalized. 

Beth was so fed up, knowing it was Rio and one of his lackeys behind all of these things that were happening. One day she purposely took all of the numbers off of the block list including his, and waited for him to call. He called a day later waking her up at 12 midnight. Beth was half sleep and didn’t even look at the caller ID as she reached for the phone on her nightstand, nearly ripping it from the charger cord and wall outlet. 

“Hello”

“This is a collect call from the Detroit Detention Center from “Rio”, if you want to accept this call press star and you will be charged 50 cents a minute, if you do not accept hang up and your card will not be charged.”

Beth looked at the phone with one eye open and pressed the star button.

“What the hell Rio!”

“Hi honey, did you like my gifts?” She could feel his smirk through the phone and she got angry.

“No I didn’t, and you know Dean has nothing to do with this so you should leave him alone! I know it’s you and your lackeys vandalizing his car! His dad is pissed at him and has threatened to take it away!”

Rio’s face grew serious when he spoke Beth knew it. “Oh, but he does see. He’s messing with my girl! He should know better than that darling!” 

“You don’t own me Rio and besides where’s Tanya, hold on wait, are you in jail?!”

Rio was silent for a few minutes before he spoke, “ yeah, I’ve been in jail for two months and my girl already has someone else.”

“You cheated on me remember? Or have you forgotten about that?!”

“Elizabeth, I didn’t cheat on you ok? I owed Tanya money for work she did for me and she came to get it, that’s it! You didn’t even give me a chance and I couldn’t talk to you while you where angry! Then before I could come to your house that night I got arrested!” 

They were both silent before Beth spoke. “I’m sorry Rio. I just-“

“It’s ok Elizabeth, I’ll be out soon and you can make it up to me.” He was smiling again through the phone.

“And how do you know that I want to be with you again?!” “When are you getting out of jail?!”

“I know because we can’t live without each other, I know because no other man could ever handle you like I can, I know because we love each other, and I also know that you’re wet for only me right now.”

“ You were always too confident, Christopher.” Beth tried to laugh off what Rio said, knowing all of it was true. 

“What do you have on mami?!” 

“I have on an old T-shirt and pajama shorts.” Beth blushed from her head to her toes. 

He growled into the phone instantly making heat settled between Beth’s legs.

“Touch yourself for me, I know you want too.” 

Beth took her phone and placed it into her left hand and ear, so that she could use her right hand to place into her shorts. 

“Did you do it mami?”

Beth was so wet she wished that Rio was with her right now instead of on the other end of a jail call.

“Ummmhmm.” He could hear the lust in her voice.

“Is it wet for me baby? Put two fingers inside of yourself, I wanna hear you. Pretend I’m there watching you.”

Beth gasped loudly when she did it, making Rio chuckle to himself.

“Does it feel good baby, me looking at you fuck yourself?”

“Beth’s voice was so high as she moaned into the phone, “yes! Oh yes!”, while she worked her fingers in and out of her pussy and used her thumb to circle her clit. 

Rio continued to talk to Beth until he sensed that she was about to climax, he shifted the tone in his voice suddenly and said, “Elizabeth, break up with him today!” and hung up the phone.

Beth gasping hard yelled, “Fuck!” and threw her cellphone at the wall in her room so loud she nearly woke up the whole house.

She went to the bathroom in the hall and cleaned herself up again before going to bed thinking to herself, “who does he think he is?!”

Beth broke up with Dean later on that day, telling him that she had gotten back together with her boyfriend. Rio called Beth every night while he was in jail, and he didn’t hang up until she was finished. He got out just in time for her graduation and he got her a new car and moved them into their first apartment as gifts.***

2 weeks after the twins birthday

Rio called Cisco and told him to come up for a visit soon, so they could discuss business.

Cisco came a week later due to him being in charge of overseeing a lot of the business for Rio while he was away. 

“Hey man what’s up? I’ve been trying to get in touch with you for weeks.” Cisco and Rio dap hands and hug in the visiting area of the prison.

“I just needed to clear my head man, get some things in order.”

“It’s her again isn’t it? What’s going on now Rio?”

“Her?! Cisco that’s my wife man!”

“I’m sorry boss!”, Cisco throws his hands and arms up calling a truce.

Rio takes his hands and rubs them across his beard and face. “She’s trying to divorce me man and I can’t let that happen, she can’t leave me and take my kids.”

He looked at Cisco with a seriousness that made Cisco shake his head. Cisco knew meant more work for him, and also that Rio was going to be up to his same tricks with Beth that he pulled in high school.

“I need you to watch her for me, see what she’s up too.” “Start sending her flowers first, then I’ll pick out some gifts for you to send, and also go into the house and start moving some things around and leaving things unkempt, you know-.”

Cisco didn’t even let him finish before he erupted in laughter, “Rio man you haven’t changed at all when it comes to Beth, I know your whole bag of tricks!” Cisco laughed, “That women just does not know the lengths that you will go for her does she?!”

“I just want to help her get her mind straight ok, she doesn’t think I’m getting out and she’s making irrational decisions.”

“Look and I want you to lay off Mick for awhile, I don’t want that kid getting involved. He looks at me like a big brother and I don’t want him in me and Elizabeth’s mess!”

“He’s not gonna be happy, but he can just pickup shifts at the cafe I guess.” 

“Yeah he’ll be ok, the kid will probably be pissed off though!”

Cisco started laughing, “Rio man you are something else!”

Rio just looked at him, Cisco hardly ever laughed, but when it involved him and Beth he always joked Rio saying, “whatever she does to you man I never want any woman to do it to me!”

Rio’s hand balled into a fist on his chin leaning on the table. “Look man, help me out here, I’m trying to get paroled next year and I need to go home to my family. I can’t live without Elizabeth and my kids, so I need you to do this for me. I need her to get rid of this guy whomever he is, yeah. Also, and about this guy find out who he is aight?”

“Alright man, hey and you should call your mom, she’s worried about you!”

They hugged and Cisco left. 

Rio was feeling like himself the next few days, so he started eating again and taking calls. He needed to reach out to his mother and Gretchen ASAP to find out what the hell was going on and why no one told him sooner.

He smiled the whole time eating that night thinking about seeing Beth and his children again, and hugging them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I live for comments so leave me some, and if you love my story share with a friend! Xo😘


	7. Wicked games

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rio attempts to get his house in order. Beth gets a visit from an old acquaintance. Brian finds out some information that causes Beth to make a decision that could impact their relationship and her life. Relationships are strained and it pushes Beth to her limit. As usual flashbacks have ****. This chapter is content heavy! Rio and Beth’s anniversary was changed from August to December in a previous chapter so that the twins birthday could remain in September(Virgo babies), also because I can see Beth wanting to get married and conceiving around Christmas.lol. Enjoy

Late September

Annie was the first to come over a day after Beth had avoided her and Ruby’s texts. Diane had cracked and told Annie so she snuck over after Brian had went to work on Friday morning. Annie wanted to confront the bastard but she didn’t want to cause more problems for Beth. Annie came in through the back door with her key and startled Beth in the kitchen sitting at the island in her pajamas drinking coffee.

Annie’s face instantly sunk and she covered her mouth with her hands looking at her sisters face saying, “Jesus Beth, you can’t return a text or a phone call?!”

“Annie don’t, I don’t want to upset my baby!”

Annie walked toward Beth and tears ran down her eyes the closer she got. 

“Annie don’t-“. Beth started to cry too.

Annie wrapped her arms around Beth and they stayed that way for about 5 minutes before Beth spoke, “Annie it’s ok, I’m ok. Everything is fine now!”

“Beth, you can’t marry him, it will get worse please!” Annie backed up to take her phone out of her back pocket. 

“What are you doing Annie?”

“I’m texting Ruby! We have been worried sick about you!” Annie texted Ruby and then took a picture of Beth’s face, unbeknownst to Beth.”

Ruby texted Annie back immediately, “What in thee entire hell happened to her face?!” 

Annie texted back, “Oh you know who happened to her face!”

Ruby texted, “Tell her I am coming over after my shift and she doesn’t want me to bring Stan!”

Annie looks up from her phone at Beth and says, “ So, Ruby’s going to come by after work so you should call or text her before so that she doesn’t bring Stan along with her!”

“Annie, get out of my house now!”

Annie frowns, “Geez Beth you act like I’m the one who hit you! We are trying to help you!”

Beth looked at Annie and got up from the table leaving her coffee cup on the counter, “Did I ask for your help? For once I’d just like to be left alone, I don’t need anyone’s help! I’m fine, we’re fine, I fixed it! Brian and I are going to get married and my children are going to have a dad that they can see everyday and rely on!” Beth is standing by the entrance of the kitchen visibly upset, communicating heavily with her hands and mouth. 

“Beth, I’m sorry ok? Don’t shut us out!”

“Annie, just please stay out of it!”

Annie stood at the island silent and looking at Beth for 5 minutes before she left slamming Beth’s door. Beth locked all of her doors and went back to bed feeling horrible about her argument with Annie. Diane still had the girls while her face recovered. She never texted Ruby or answered when she came with Stan that evening. A few weeks went by with only text communications and Beth felt horrible for shutting everyone out but she had to get her house in order, she wanted her children to be safe.

The day after Cisco’s visit Rio began to make some moves. He called Carmela and he could tell that his mother had been worried. After she yelled at him through the phone for about 5 minutes in Spanish she finally calmed down.

“Christopher, what is going on Mijo?! Elizabeth came here with the girls a few weeks ago and she’s saying she’s marrying someone?! Another man is probably living in the house with your family right now! I have been praying three times a day!” 

“Ma, Elizabeth is not thinking straight. Don’t worry I’m going to handle it ok?”

“Mijo, how can you handle it? I saw the ring myself? I was so upset I asked her to leave the house! I love that girl like a daughter and she sat here and told me that in my house! How long has this been going on?! Did you know about this?!”

“Ma, please calm down. Elizabeth is afraid that I’m not getting out this time. We have never been away from each other longer than 6 months. She just needs something to help her get her head straight! I got it under control trust me, she won’t marry this guy!”

Rio sounded confident as he always did and he could hear that his mother wasn’t so sure through the phone.

“ Ok Mijo, I’m trusting that you have this under control, but something else is off with Elizabeth. I swear when I looked at her she was exhausted and not the kind that comes from lack of sleep. I think she may be pregnant! You can’t have a man raising your children Christopher!”

Rio rubbed his beard and hung his head as he listened to Carmela on the phone. He thought to himself, “I haven’t seen Elizabeth since August, but the last time we made love was in July when she came for a visit. She couldn’t have known she was pregnant and didn’t tell me?!”

Rio was pulled from his thoughts when his mother said, “Christopher, are you still there?”

“Yes Ma, I’m still here, look I called to see how you were doing, leave Elizabeth to me ok? So, how are you doing, how is the family?!”

Carmela and Rio talked for the next 15 mins about his sisters and nieces and nephews before he hung up the call. He needed to talk to Gretchen asap to find out what she knew about the divorce papers, so he promised Carmela that he would call her back soon. 

Gretchen was sitting at her desk in her law office Zorada and associates when Rio called. 

“Hello, this is Gretchen”

“Gretchen, have you seen or spoken to Elizabeth?” 

Rio avoided all pleasantries still angry with Gretchen for allowing Beth to even consider using her in their personal matters.

“Rio, to what do I owe this pleasure? You don’t go up for parole until next March.

“That ain’t why I’m calling but since you brought it up, I need you to work on trying to get me out of here sooner, four years, 2 of my properties, and a lot of my fucking money should be enough of my time!”

“Excuse me!”

“Gretchen don’t fucking play with me, have you seen Elizabeth, you greedy bitch?!”

“If you are going to talk like that I can end this call now!”

Rio was silent for a minute. Regaining his composure he took his hand and dragged it down his face hard clenching his jaw before he responded again.

“Hi Gretchen, have you seen or spoken with my fucking wife?!”

“Well that’s better, and yes I did! She came into my office around the end of June.”

“And you didn’t think to call me? What the fuck am I paying you for Gretch, huh?! My wife is clearly losing her fucking mind and I could use some help here!”

“ Rio, that is client attorney privileges and I cannot break them! I could be disbarred, and for your information I tried to talk Elizabeth out of it, you both are my friends for Christ’s sake! We grew up together do you think I was happy about this?! She came to someone she trusted!”

“Yeah well, I ripped them papers up. Elizabeth ain’t divorcing me and she’s not marrying no one else, so do me a favor and stall her! Just be busy, ignore some of her calls for a few days, weeks if possible. I’ll have Cisco to set you up when you send me a bill.”

“Rio-!” Gretchen knew against her better judgement that helping Beth would not end well, but she also knew that there was a slight chance she wouldn’t go through with the divorce, they were together for too long. Rio was right she was a greedy bitch but hey she didn’t attend Harvard to be a starving lawyer.

“Look you have a good 3-4 months before it’s final, you need to call your wife and stop being a jackass. I can’t help you beyond that, I’m sorry!”

Rio was quiet. He felt like the wound was opening again and he had nothing to close it back, no temporary comfort.

Gretchen hung up and Rio was pissed, he yelled, “Fuckkkkkkk!”. 

“Hey keep it down Garcia!,” A Correctional Officer working the tier yelled to Rio. He went back into his cell to think. He had to do get out of prison and fast, “Elizabeth is pregnant? How could she do this? Is it my baby? His baby? Is this why she wants to leave me?” 

He had a burner phone in his room and he reached under his mattress for it and turned it on to text Cisco.

“Cisco I need you to get a complete spa package from Immerse Spa, a dozen mixed chocolate truffles from Bon Bon Bon, two pairs of diamond earrings for my girls, a nice diamond necklace and tennis bracelet set for Elizabeth, flowers, lots of them, and 3 cards. I need Elizabeth to get these ASAP. I’ll text you what to have the sales girl write in the cards. Let me know when it’s done-Rio”

Rio waited for Cisco to text back before he turned the phone off again. “Aight Boss!”

Rio hated this part of the game. He loved being in the game for the money, excitement, and power. He loved all that he built for himself and established at such a young age but it came with too many sacrifices. 

This time he had to go straight for his wife, his children, for himself. He couldn’t keep putting them through this, and worse leaving his wife to feel so alone that she would fill her bed with anyone. He was starting to get a headache thinking about it, so he decided that when Cisco dropped the packages he would call her himself soon to see where her head was at. 

Early October 

Rio still hadn’t heard from Cisco so he called him from the burner phone.

“Aye, what’s the hold up man?! I haven’t heard nothin from you it’s been over 2 weeks!”

“Boss, she hasn’t left the house in over a week, and I’ve been personally casing it to put the stuff in there! Somethings going on because the girls aren’t there either! I know she wouldn’t keep them home from school so long.”

Rio was quiet on the other end of the phone, and he could hear the worry in Cisco’s voice. “Well then you gon have to knock, and just give it to her yourself, but don’t leave with the stuff Cisco. If she tries to refuse it remind her that I don’t like my gifts being returned.“

“ok boss, I’ll try again today. I didn’t buy the flowers or chocolate because I didn’t want it to go bad, but I have everything else.”

“It’s cool, aye add some flowers too, yeah?! This time get some exotic ones, you know that can be made in an arrangement?!”

“I’ll call you when it’s done.”

“Thanks man!”

The Following day at Beth’s house 

Beth was still hiding out in her house a week after the incident with Brian. Her face was starting to heal and her left eye had opened but she still had some bruises that required covering up. Beth let Diane bring GiGi and Bella home on the following Friday evening. Beth missed her girls and they missed their mom being gone a week, plus she wanted to tell them that she was having a baby without Brian in the house. She didn’t want to risk him getting upset in front of the girls.

GiGi said, “I am so excited mommy, I hope we have a baby brother, so we can boss him around!” she giggled.

“Hey that isn’t nice GiGi, your sibling isn’t your employee! Beth smiled shaking her head thinking, “God she is just like Rio!”

Bella said, “I want you to have twins like me and GiGi mommy!”

“I don’t know if I can handle another set of twins Bella, mommy is pooped already! Plus I already have the two best twin girls that anyone could have! 

The girls spoke in unison, “we love you mommy!” 

Beth smiled, “ I love you too, now remember no baby talk around Mr. Brian ok?!”

Bella asked Beth, “Ok mommy, but can we help name the baby?” 

“We’ll see girls, daddy might want to do it if it’s a boy. I’ll find out soon and we can talk about it ok?”

Beth smiled at her girls while they ate and bounced in their seats talking to each other. They were the perfect combination of her and Rio. She missed him so much. She missed having their family together.

September 4th- The Twins first birthday 

***Beth had done a “GiGi and Bella’s One-derFul zoo” themed birthday for the girls at Pingree Farms. They had an event section that also had small ponies and animals for children to ride and pet. Beth had made three cakes, one smash cake for each girl and one for the guests, a photographer, various finger foods & desserts, games, party bags for guests, and prizes. Beth and the girls both wore denim overalls with red and plaid button up shirts, brown cowboy boots, and Beth wore a cowgirl hat while she opted for red headbands adorned with a plaid flowers for the girls. They both had a head full of hair and she was sure they wouldn’t keep the hats on long. 

She tried to get Rio to dress up with them but he had said, “ I don’t think gangsters look good in cowboy boots sweetheart”, as he smiled. She was annoyed but got over it eventually when he agreed to at least wear the plaid shirt and jeans.

Beth was in the event hall finishing the decorations set up with Annie while Ruby was keeping an eye on the twins and her own four-year-old daughter Sara. Rio had left that morning to drop off the food at the farm but he also had to do some drops of his own that day. Beth was getting anxious the later it got and when it was a quarter to 12 she started calling his phone to see how far away he was from the farm.

“Christopher, where are you? The guests are starting to arrive! You better not miss the girls birthday, you are supposed to help me today, I-.”

Beth’s back was toward the door and Rio walked in as she was finishing up her voice message, “Relax ma, daddy’s here! I got a little tied up.” Beth crossed her arms over her chest after slipping her phone into her back pocket. 

“Besides, I don’t see any guests.” He smirked at Beth for telling him a white lie to get him to the party faster. He nodded at a visibly annoyed Annie, who nodded back.

“Well I had to make sure that you would get here before everyone else, besides the photographer is going to take family portraits when I get the girls changed!” 

He walked over to get the girls from Ruby, “ Thanks for helping out Rube.” He gave her a side hug as Sara wrapped herself around his legs. Rio picked Sara up first hugging her, “ Hey Sara, hows one of my favorite girls?”. 

Sara smiled like she saw Santa Claus himself hugging Rio. “Hi uncle Chris, I’m so excited for the twins party! Auntie Beth made 3 cakes, and it’s candy, and ponies!” 

“Woah, she did?! It sounds like we are gonna have a good time, huh?!” He smiled at Sara and Beth, Annie, and Ruby smiled at him an awe of his ability to charm any woman he came in contact with from young to old. 

Annie looked at Beth, “How does he do that?! Literally, he could charm anyone and get whatever he wants! I’m actually jealous.” Annie shook her head finishing up the decorations on the last table, and Beth laughed blushing from her cheeks to her chest, “I know, he’s a pain in the ass but my pain in the ass!”

The party was a success and that night after bathing the twins and putting them to bed her and Rio just laid in bed talking. 

“Thank you for taking off of work today.”

“Elizabeth, it was our daughters birthday, their first birthday, I wouldn’t be anywhere else!” Rio chuckled pulling her in tighter to his chest as he looked into her eyes.

Beth felt a little silly but past insecurities with her own father and Rio’s job always lingered.

“ I’m just glad that everything went well and you were there.”

“You trust me?”

“Yes, you know that I do Christopher.” Beth felt stupid now for even making the comment shutting her eyes unable to look at Rio.

“I’ll always be here. For you and for our girls Elizabeth, I’m not going anywhere, ever. I love you and I would never leave. What we have is too good Ma, even our ups and downs I wouldn’t want them with anyone else.”

Rio kisses Beth’s forehead before she could say anything else. She whispered, “ I love you too, I’m just always scared. Scared that you will leave or something else will make you leave and I don’t know how I will handle that.”

Beth was tearing up and it made Rio regret not getting legit before the girls were born. He thought carefully before speaking again, “I’ll always be with you, no matter where I am, in this life or the next it will always be me and you, Ma!” He kissed her deep and slow making all of her pessimistic thoughts go away. ****

They were at the table having dinner when she heard a knock at the door. Brian was still at work and she wasn’t expecting any guests so she was unsure of who it could be. Her stomach was showing at this point through her black turtle neck but not many people knew that she was pregnant yet. She was going to go back to Marks & Co. on Monday to resume work, but she wanted to spend the weekend settling back in with the girls.

Beth looked through the peep hole of her front door, and all she saw was the back of someone who she hadn’t seen in what seemed like months.

“Cisco?”

He turned around holding everything in his hands in boxes, and the flower bouquet. 

“Uhhh hey Beth, hows it going?!” Cisco looked at her face and could tell she had on more make up than usual and had gained weight.

“I’m doing alright, to what do I owe the pleasure?!” She was annoyed but entertained him crossing her arms at her chest.

“ Boss, I mean Rio wanted me to bring these over for you and the girls.”

“ Oh he did, did he?! Well you tell your boss that his daughters 8th birthday was last month, and he opted not to be here to celebrate with us nor did he call, so he can take all of that shit and go fuck himself!” She grew l enraged and held onto her stomach because of the sudden cramping she was experiencing. She pulled herself together blowing breaths in and out, and Cisco looked confused. 

He thought to himself, “Is she pregnant? God Rio is gonna flip his shit!” 

He pulled himself from his thoughts and said,  
“Awww come on Beth, he’s been going through a lot, and we both know that refusing his gifts won’t be a good idea. I’m begging you, please just take them because I don’t want this to get worse!” 

Beth stood in the doorway chewing on her bottom lip and thinking about how her husband could be when he was upset, plus they were probably gifts for the girls and she wouldn’t deny them of that. 

“Fine, you can leave them on the counter!”

Beth let Cisco in closing the front door, and wobbled into the house. After he spoke to the girls he made his way out. Beth sorted through everything and put the gifts labeled to her in her boudoir. Before Beth put the girls to bed that night she let them open the gift that Rio had sent for them and let them both read the cards attached to the boxes.

“To my darling GiGi, papi’s twin, I hope you had a wonderful 8th birthday! See you soon, love daddy!”

“To my darling Bella, who is my beloved Elizabeth’s twin, I hope you had a wonderful 8th birthday! See you soon, love daddy!”

Beth held back tears when her girls got so excited, saying “mommy, daddy said see you soon, he must be coming home soon right?!” 

She helped them each put on their new earrings as she searched for the right words to say.

“Girls daddy still has some things to finish up before he can come home ok, but I’m sure that when he does you will be the first people he comes to see! Let’s try to get some rest ok? Tomorrow we are going to stop by and see auntie Ruby and cousin Sara.”

The girls each said their good nights with hugs and kisses to Beth. Her and Rio made sure to buy a house with five bedrooms to accommodate a growing family but the girls were at that stage where they had to be together at all times. 

Beth left the girls room shutting their door to find that Brian was standing out side of their door listening. A startled Beth tried to act like she wasn’t caught off guard. 

“Good night hunny, I-.” She shrieked as his right hand wrapped around her arm and pulled her downstairs. She was silent the whole walk down holding onto her belly afraid of what he would do next, and unsure of how long he was there or what had gotten him so upset. 

Beth looked at the counter at the flowers and immediately saw that she had forgotten to take the card off and hide it from Brian. The card was open, and he had clearly read its contents. She looked at Brian, then at the card, and then at Brian again. Beth was scared frozen, standing in the entry way of the kitchen, because she never looked at it herself to see what it said. Brian was already back in kitchen standing at the island after letting her arm go, “Beth what did we talk about? What the hell is going on?”

Beth had no words. She was so afraid and she didn’t want to risk losing her baby being in a fight with Brian.

“Get over here now Beth!” He was standing at the island holding the card nearly crumpling it up he was so angry.

Beth walked over to him slowly and he threw the card at her, “I want you to read it out loud to me! I’m confused at how I can be with a woman for nearly 2 years, and out of nowhere a husband pops up who supposedly was never coming back!” Brian picked up the flowers in the vase and threw it towards the wall past Beth’s head and she ducked. Glass and water shattered all over the floor and there was a dent in her wall. She was shaking at this point and wanted to run.

“I don’t want too, I didn’t ask him for this. He sent birthday gifts for the girls, Brian I-.” She was scared and Brian knew it, he played on the fact that she was pregnant all the time now. He began to taunt her and made her do things that degraded her, so that he could strip her power little by little.

“Bitch I said read the card!” He was menacing, his eyes dark and his body language volatile. Why Beth put up with him was even a mystery to her at this point. Maybe she felt guilty because she had betrayed Rio, so a part of her felt like she deserved the humiliation, the torture. 

Beth was crying as she read, “For my wife, I heard you needed a day to relax and something sweet to satisfy your late night cravings. My ladies wear diamonds so I sent you all some. See you soon. Yours always love, Christopher”

Brian grabbed Beth’s neck and she gasped for air, “what the fuck is going on Beth?! Is this some type of game for you? Are you using me to make some jail bird jealous?!” He continued to grab her neck and started shaking her violently. 

“ Brian you’re hurting me, please calm down! It’s not what you think!” Beth could see the rage in his eyes. She couldn’t do this any longer it was unsafe for her and her girls, for her baby. 

Beth kneed Brian in his groin as hard as she could, and when he let her neck go she ran to her room and locked the door.

Before she got to her boudoir he was banging and kicking on her door.

“I’m going to call the police Brian, my girls are home! Please just leave now!”

Brian continued to kick the door and by the time he had gotten in Beth had retrieved her gun from the safe. She stood at the door of her boudoir aiming at his head tears streaming down her cheeks, “ I didn’t mean for this to happen, please just leave! I’ll make sure all of your things are sent to you! I don’t want to hurt you and I don’t want my girls to get hurt or my baby! This was a mistake, he’ll never let me go and there’s nothing I can do about that! I’m sorry.”

Brian backed out of Beth’s room saying, “Beth you won’t get away with this!” She heard the front door slam and his car peel out of the drive way. She made sure all of the doors were locked in the house and set the alarm. For the first night since Rio was gone she had to sleep in bed with her girls. Beth locked their room door and put a chair under the door knob. 

Beth had really messed up this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How did I do?! Leave me comments, concerns, or suggestions! Also, Its about to get real with the Garcia’s! Xo😘


	8. Innocence lost 1.2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beth has some problems with Gabriella and Isabella and needs Rio to step up. Rio finds out disturbing news after talking to Cisco, and reaches out to Beth. Ruby has to come and help Beth in a crisis at the house. Beth finds out the sex of her baby and the twins go on a field trip.

Cisco texted Rio the night he delivered Beth the packages to let him know that she received them, and to let him know his other findings regarding her fiancé. 

“Aye boss, call me when you have a chance.”

Saturday morning 

Rio didn’t turn the burner phone on until the next morning, and he called Cisco from the jail that afternoon.

“Yo, whatchu got for me?”

“Uhhh Boss, did you know that Beth was pregnant?! I mean either that or she’s picked up a lot of weight in her stomach area.”

“She was right! Damn.” Rio smiled. 

“Who?!”

“My mother man, she had an inkling but wasn’t sure. I can’t believe Elizabeth would hide this from me!” He was now becoming worried that it might be this guys kid because why else would Beth want to rush and get married?!

“Also, I found the girls well, I’m assuming they had just came home, because they weren’t there all week.”

“Beth had on a lot of makeup, I mean more than she would need, if you get what I mean. She was also pretty pissed off at you for not calling the girls on their birthday and I’m assuming they haven’t spoken to you in awhile?! She wouldn’t take the stuff at first told me to tell you to go fuck your self.” Cisco chucked a little at the last part of his comment.

“You think that’s funny, huh?! Rio smirked into the phone. Yeah, I ain’t think you would be looking for something like woman’s make up but ok, and Elizabeth just wanted to give you a hard time because she can’t take it out on me. She’ll be aight.”

“Well normally I don’t but after I got Gretchen to run an extensive background on the guy, a Brian Falchi, I figure maybe Beth was covering up a black eye. Dude had three domestic violence cases covered up and thrown out. I’m guessing witness tampering and payoffs?! He is bad news but I’m guessing because of his job and the case search on Michigan’s website not showing what Gretchen found Beth didn’t know. Also, he has some uhhh male problems down there from an accident years ago so I’m pretty sure that’s your kid she’s carrying.”

“Cisco I fucked up man! She has this dude around my kids, in my house, and he beats women! I been gone too long, I need to get home!”

“Whatever you want me to do Rio just say it and I gotchu! Also, Gretchen sent a bill for whatever it is you talked to her about and she also said that she is going to try and talk to the judge about paroling you as soon as Christmas due to good behavior and a family emergency.”

Rio’s voice was nearly cracking talking to Cisco and rubbing his beard, “Look I need a detail on my house in the morning and night. In case anything goes on I need someone at the house at all times Elizabeth is there with my children. If he touches my wife or girls I want a bullet in his head, no questions asked!”

“ I gotchu, but do you want Elizabeth to know that someone is there?”

“Nah, just play it cool, I don’t want her going off on anyone causing more problems. Cisco, thank you man, for real.”

“Rio no problem brother, y’all my family too.”

“Aight, peace.”

“Peace.”

Rio’s mind was wrecked at this point, he had to call Beth tonight to see what the hell was going on and why she didn’t mention that she was pregnant. 

Beth woke up early Saturday morning so that she could call a repair man to come and fix her bedroom door and the wall, clean up the mess in her kitchen from the vase, and cook breakfast for her and the twins. Bella was an earlier riser like Beth, so she came downstairs to look for Beth in her bedroom about 30 mins after Beth woke up. 

Bella stood in the door way of the bathroom rubbing her eyes while Beth was sitting on the toilet, “mommy what happened to your door?” 

Good morning smooch, “uhhh I had a little accident last night with Mr. Brian ok, everything’s fine. I’m having it repaired.”

Bella continued to stand in the door stretching and rubbing her eyes, “Mommy I’m hungry, can you make me and GiGi crepes?!”

“Sure, “Go upstairs and wake your sister up and wash up. When you both are done, go into the living room and watch television. I’ll call you when I’m done breakfast. Hey, don’t go into the kitchen there’s glass on the floor!”

“Ok mommy.”

Bella was still half asleep so she didn’t even notice the bruises that had unmasked on Beth’s face due to the makeup wearing off last night and Beth was grateful. She didn’t want her children to know anything that was going on. Beth, Mickey, and Annie went through a lot as children living with a single mom. Beth promised herself that her children would have a better life with two parents, and now she felt like she had failed them too.

Beth finished up in the bathroom and showered. She got dressed and used cover up to hide the bruises that still lingered around her eye, so that she could hurry up and get into the kitchen.

By the time Beth had cleaned up all of the glass the girls were coming downstairs chatting away. While Beth went into the refrigerator and cabinets looking for ingredients for the crepes she called the twins to come to get a piece of fruit to eat while she made their breakfast. Beth was shocked at what she saw when she turned around and they came into the kitchen. 

“Good morning, breakfast will- uhhhh, Where did you get make up?! March right back upstairs and take it off, you are only 8 years-old!” Beth was furious, arms folded across her chest. 

As usual GiGi was the first to show defiance, “But mommy grandma Diane bought it for us! I don’t wanna take it off!” GiGi crosses her arms mimicking Beth, while Bella looked at each of them as if she was watching an impending duel.

“Lolly I swear to God, we won’t leave this house today if you don’t go and wash the makeup off! You are not an adult, you are a child, and you will not leave this house with make up on!” Beth tried not to yell at her girls but lately GiGi had been testing her limits and she didn’t know why.

Beth and GiGi stood in the kitchen looking at each other, with GiGi not budging.

GiGi sat on the kitchen floor still looking up at Beth, and at that point she had had enough. Beth couldn’t believe what she was seeing and it made her livid. Beth looked at GiGi with the most stern look she had, and tilted her head slightly to look at her sitting on the floor as if she was staging her own protest. 

“Gabriella Sofia Garcia Marks, go upstairs right now and take the make up off!”

GiGi did not budge saying, “Grandma Diane let us wear the makeup at her house! You’re being mean mommy!” 

“Oh she did? Well I’ll have to talk to her about that, but that’s fine you’re grounded! No activities, no snacks, no television, and no games for a week! Beth thought in this moment that she should pack her daughter up and take her back to her mom since she wanted to corrupt her children. 

GiGi started to scream loudly upsetting Beth even more. Beth could not believe what she was witnessing, and Bella’s face told a similar story.

Beth turned around and reached into the cabinet to take down two bowls, and then two glasses, and sat them on the counter. She went to the fridge and poured milk into the glasses, and then reached into another cabinet and took down two choices of cereal. Beth told Bella that she and GiGi could eat cereal for breakfast, because she wasn’t “slaving over a stove for brats”. Beth started crying so upset she walked around a screaming GiGi to her go to her room but was unable to shut the door.

She took her phone out of her pocket and texted Ruby a 911 as she laid on her bed and sobbed. She felt like she had no control over her life or her children anymore.

Ruby arrived at Beth’s house an hour later to the twins sitting in the living room watching television with Beth nowhere in sight. Ruby had to even disable the alarm because it was still on from last night.

“Hey girls, where’s your mommy at?!”

In unison they said, “ Hi aunt Ruby, she’s in bed!” They turned around to continue watching their show. Ruby observed that GiGi had make up all over her face and so much lipstick on that she was sure she used the whole tube even if she didn’t see it herself. She shook her head and decided she wasn’t going to tackle that subject yet.

Ruby walked towards Beth’s room horrified at the door nearly off the hinges. She peaked into the room and Beth looked back at her face make up smeared from crying, bruises now visible again. 

Ruby was calm as she sat on the bed next to Beth rubbing her leg. “Hey B, what’s wrong?!”

Beth was quiet and Ruby was sad to see her best friend in this state. She continued to rub her leg until Beth spoke.

“I’m sorry I’ve been so distant Ruby and I didn’t know who else to call. Annie’s pissed at me and she hasn’t talked to me since I asked her to back off. Ruby, I feel like everything is falling apart, my relationships with you, Annie, Mickey, Rio, Brian and now my kids! I can’t do anything right and I don’t know what to do!” Beth started to cry again.

“B, you know that’s not true! We all love you, we just want to help, you are not in this alone!”

“I had to pull a gun out on Brian last night after he tried to attack me for the second time!”

“Omg Beth, what the hell is going on with him?!

“It’s all my fault. I got knocked up by my husband, and still continued to sleep with him knowing I was with Brian. Then yesterday Cisco dropped by with gifts and cards from Christopher and that made it worse!”

“What?!, but he didn’t even call the twins for their birthday!

“ I know right?! He always does this, every time it’s like clockwork. Whenever he feels me slipping away he acts like a jerk, and then he comes to his senses weeks, or months later. He starts showering me with gifts and making my life crazy until I can’t live without him! I didn’t mean for this to happen Rube, I was just so lonely and my girls, I -“ Beth sobbed.

“Me and Brian were trying to work it out, and he had gotten over the baby not being his.”  
Apparently he’s sterile, can you believe that?!” “A sports accident years ago left him sterile!” Beth laugh-cried and Ruby just let her go through all of her emotions, alternating between rubbing her legs and back.

“Is that why he hit you the first time?!, Ruby was afraid to ask but she wanted to know.

“He hit me with his dinner plate!, Beth chuckled ridiculously, “Can you believe it? He just hummed it at me like a frisbee!”

Ruby looked in horror and Beth never looked at her, ashamed at what her life was becoming.

“Yesterday, he didn’t find the gifts but he found the flowers with the card still attached. He made me read it out loud to him. God, I felt like I was in Mr. Leitchen’s English class in high school again, nervous and in tears reading aloud Ruby. He choked me and I had to kick him to get away, by the time I had the gun in my hands he was busting through my bedroom door.”

“Where were the girls Beth?!”

“They were upstairs sleeping, I think. They haven’t said anything but GiGi had a horrible tantrum in the kitchen before you got here! My mother gave them make up and they came downstairs with it all on their face for breakfast. GiGi sat on the kitchen floor screaming to the top of her lungs because I grounded her for not going to take the makeup off. My baby is turning into a wayward child!”

“Well Bella took hers off but GiGi still has it all on including what I feel is a whole tube of lipstick, and they’re sitting in the living room watching television.” Ruby laughed.

“Rube, it’s not funny! They looked ridiculous!” Beth starts laughing too and finally looks at Ruby blue eyes all dark like the beach under the moon. “She acts just like her father and I don’t have the strength to argue with her at all! I’m going to loose my mind if she keeps this up. You know I grounded her and she’s not even supposed to be watching television!” Beth scoffed at her daughters bold disobedience. 

“ You’d think he would at least call to talk to them, but no, leave it all on me, it’s always on me! What am I supposed to do now?! I’m going to be a single mother of three children!” Beth was over everything and everyone, anger simmering again.

“You know we were coming to visit you and Sara today, but they are grounded! Bella wanted crepes and I couldn’t even make them because of GiGi’s little performance!”

“Beth I can take them if you need to relax, you need to rest and not stress so much.”

“No, I can’t sleep in this house alone after what happened, can you just help me get something together for dinner and then you can leave if you want? I know it’s your day off. I, I- just don’t have anyone to talk too and I need help.” Beth sniffled still laying on the bed. 

“Sure, let me go and see what you have, or if I need to go to the market, and Beth you are my family, I’m always here for you.” Ruby bent down to hug Beth before she went into the kitchen.

Beth laid in bed while Ruby went to cook her and the girls dinner and she dozed off for about five hours until Ruby came to let her know that dinner was ready and she was heading out. She had managed to cook spaghetti and meatballs and spend some time with the girls while Beth slept. 

It was nearly 5 pm when Beth woke up. The whole day had passed. Ruby told Beth that the girls were at the table eating and to call if she needed anything. Beth got up and hugged Ruby then walked her out, so that she could set the alarm again after she changed the passcode and to go and eat with them. 

“GiGi, Bella.” Beth spoke as she sat down at the table with her dinner plate.

Bella said, “Hi mommy, do you feel better?”

“Yes, baby I do! Did you have fun with aunt Ruby today?” Beth smiled at Bella and was always trying to read GiGI’s mannerisms.

“Yes, we watched Matilda, and she talked to us about helping you out more because of the baby.” Beth smiled and nodded.

GiGi was quiet as a mouse, not saying anything just eating her food uncomfortably between them.

“Gabriella, is there something wrong? I see you haven’t taken the make up off, are we pushing for being grounded two weeks?” Beth stared at her with a half smile. 

GiGi looked at Beth anger simmering, and Beth looked back at her straight faced knowing that she was firing up her little canons again.

GiGi stood up from the table, picked up her dinner plate, and before Beth knew it she was smashing it to the ground.

Beth thought she was in the twilights zone. “Gabriella, have you lost your mind? What is wrong with you?!” 

GiGi stood with her fists clenched at her sides staring at Beth like she wanted to fight. Beth looked at Bella, who hunched her shoulders letting Beth know that she had no clue of what was going on with her sister. Beth stood up and walked over to GiGi grabbing her by the arm to walk her towards the stairs. GiGi would not go up the stairs so Beth had to grab both of her crossed arms and they tousled until Beth got tired, holding her stomach. 

“Gabriella upstairs now! Get washed up and go straight to your room! Once again, no television, no toys, no games, no snacks, and no activities, good night! You are the child and I am the adult, so you listen to me ok?! You are really in big trouble young lady!”

GiGi burst into tears running to the top of the stairs. She spun around and screamed to Beth, “I hate you mommy! You make everyone sad, you make everyone leave, I want my daddy!” She ran into the bathroom slamming the door.

Beth felt her heart clench in her chest. She went to finish her dinner and clean up, giving GiGi time to calm herself down. 

It was eerily quiet in the house. Bella sat across the table with her head down fork digging into the food on her plate. 

Beth looked at Bella and asked, “Smooch are you mad at mommy too?!”

Bella looked up at Beth eyes filled with tears, “Mommy why did you make Mr. Brian leave?! GiGi said we don’t have a daddy anymore because no one wants us!” Bella was full on sobbing at this point and Beth felt gut punched.

She got up to go and console her daughter.  
“Smooch you and GiGi have a daddy who loves you very much! Mr. Brian and me are having some grown up problems right now and we need to figure things out, ok? I love you girls, you are my world, and I’m so sorry that you had to hear that last night!”

“But daddy doesn’t call us anymore and he doesn’t want to see us!”

“Baby that’s not true! Your daddy misses you that’s why he sent you and GiGi birthday gifts!” I’m sure daddy will call soon ok?”

“Ok.” Bella sniffled wiping her eyes.

Beth had really messed up. The girls had probably heard every thing last night, and she felt that she had no way to undo the damage without Rio. He would not be happy about anything that was going on. 

“Are you done eating?”

Bella nodded her head yes.

“Ok go upstairs and bathe and put your pajamas on, when you are done you and your sister can come back down to get dessert.” 

Beth had to make the situation right with GiGi, although she did not condone her behavior she now understood the cause of her onslaught of insolence. 

When the girls were done bathing they both came downstairs in pajamas, and she let them chose a dessert. Beth spoke with them both again and promised them that they would speak to Rio soon. GiGi seemed to have calmed down some but she still wouldn’t talk much to Beth. The girls went to bed around 8:30 pm since it was a weekend and Beth went to her room. She showered and when she got out she had no energy to put on clothes so she kept on her bathrobe. 

Beth went to the boudoir to get her gun out and lock the safe back since she would sleep in her bedroom tonight, and the repair man wouldn’t be able to come until Monday to repair the damage to her door.

Cisco had people outside of the house all day that day and she didn’t even know. He wanted to report to Rio his findings.

She decided that she would pack Brian’s things tomorrow and text him to figure out where he wanted it delivered, and call an emergency locksmith to change her locks. That also reminded her that she needed to change her gate code with the neighborhood association and front gate security as soon as possible.

As Beth laid in the bed looking at her messages her phone rang. It was an unknown number, so she declined the first call. Within 30 seconds she received a text message, “Elizabeth pick up the phone.” She felt uneasy, it was Rio.

He called her phone a second time, and she nervously picked up. 

She spoke first. “ Hello.”

“ Hi, how are you?”

“ I’m fine, and you?” Beth thought, Jesus we feel like strangers. 

“ I’m ok, you know just trying to maintain, do my time.”

“Well that’s good. Maybe when you’re not shooting the shit in the prison yard you can call your children at a decent hour!” There it was, all the frustration that Beth felt rolling out like an assembly line.

Rio chuckled, “Oh, is that right?!”

“ Yeah it is, you know it’s bad enough I have to do this myself, but you don’t even make an effort to call them!”

“ This is what you wanted, right Elizabeth to cut me out?” “ You came to me way back when with the divorce papers and said you wanted out of it.” Rio’s calm demeanor started to dissipate listening to Beth simmer. 

She was quiet. He felt guilty. She said, “and you ripped the papers in half, so why are you bringing that up again?!” 

“Whatever, aye How is my baby?”

“Your daughters are 8-years-old now, far from babies, Christopher.”

“You really gonna sit on this phone and not tell me that you are pregnant? That’s cold even for you Elizabeth!”

She was quiet for a few minutes, covering her mouth with her hand, then she spoke, “How did you know?”

“ Wouldn’t you like to know?” He chucked. 

“ Well I just found out, I’m four months now, are you happy? We have officially added another kid to let down to our life’s accomplishments!” Beth said sarcastically.

“Look, I ain’t call to argue with you aight!”

“ I’m happy that we are having another kid, and I’m calling to tell you that I may be getting out soon, so you need to tell your little friend to get out of my house! I already talked to Gretchen, so you can call her Monday, and drop whatever it is you had her doing.”

Beth was quiet again for several seconds and Rio thought that the phone disconnected. 

“Elizabeth?”

“He’s gone! Are you happy?!”

“Yeah I am actually!”

“Well your little stunt nearly got me killed last night! You can’t just interfere with my relationship like that! ”

“Excuse me, My little stunt? Your relationship? Elizabeth why were you even playing around with that guy?” You and me know that no other man could ever satisfy or handle a woman like you, so let’s cut the bullshit darlin!” Look, you need to get your house in order sweetheart! You cheat on me, try to divorce me, and bring an abuser around my kids and I’m pulling stunts?! Did you even do a background check on this guy before you fucked him, huh? All this to get back at me right? I’m always the bad guy!” Rio was boiling at this point. He hated talking to Beth so rough but she had pushed his buttons. 

“Rio I-.” She choked, unable to even come back from what he said, it was true. 

“Elizabeth.” He huffed into the phone.

“Yes.” She was crying.”

“Did he hit you?” Rio knew the answer but wanted to hear her say it.

Beth knew that she couldn’t come back from whatever she told Rio and she felt partly responsible for Brian so she lied, “No,” it was a misunderstanding that’s all, but he’s gone, I broke it off with him.”

“Aight then, how’s my girls doing?! Did they like my gift, did mommy like my gift?!”

Beth calmed herself down realizing that she never even looked into her boxes before placing them in her boudoir. She got up out of her bed again and walked into the closet. She opened the bags and nearly gasped and how beautiful the necklace and bracelet was that she receive from Rio. He always gave her lavish gifts but other than the twins this was by far her next favorite one. She said to herself that she would wear it the first day he came home, or Christmas, whichever came first. Placing them back into the boxes and then the safe she continued to talk to Rio.

She smiled and said, “They loved them and they are doing fine. GiGi has been giving me a hard time as usual, and she’s grounded for two weeks.”

“What did she do?” Rio smiled to himself because he knew she was his twin, a rebel without a cause most times.

“She put on makeup that they convinced my mother to buy, and wouldn’t take it off so that we could leave out of the house, she talks back to me at least twice a day, and smashed her dinner plate into the floor tonight, and she disobeys my rules. You need to call and talk to them more! I can’t keep making up excuses of why you don’t call or why they can’t visit!”

“Aight, I’ll call tomorrow to talk to them. Give them a kiss from me tonight, yeah?!” And look, call this number if you need anything. If I don’t answer leave a message.”

“Ok.”

“Aye look, Elizabeth, I love you and I’m sorry aight?! When I come home we gonna get through all this, I’mma clean up my act for real Ma!”

“Ok.”

“Elizabeth, you trust me?”

She was quiet, she thought about it. He was the only man she had ever been with before Brian. Rio was the only man she had ever wanted to be with, her true love. Their connection was almost ethereal besides the criminal aspect of Rio’s job, and had been since the day that they met, as if it was meant to be. Sure they had arguments but he had never hit her, and had always taken care of her so she responded, “Yes, I do, and I am sorry too Christopher.”

“It’s all good Ma, see you soon, yeah?!”

“Bye Christopher, I love you too!

The weekend came and went and by Monday Beth was back into the groove of things with the girls back home. Rio had started calling more often to talk to the girls and GiGi’s behavior improved, although she still gave Beth a hard way to go from time to time. Beth had gotten her door and the wall fixed in the house, and had gotten the locks and security codes changed. 

The holidays were coming and after sending movers to the address that Brian had texted her for his belongings she hadn’t heard from him. Lorraine and CeCe had helped Beth to fully staff the cafe, so that Beth would have time with the girls and to rest during her pregnancy, and so that no one would feel overworked during the holidays. Beth wanted all of her staff to have time to shop, prepare, and spend time with love ones during the thanksgiving and Christmas season.

Rio continued to send Beth random gifts and flowers through Cisco to keep their marriage spontaneous, and he had someone at the house whenever Beth and the girls were there. Beth had been told by her doctor to take it easy unless she wanted the baby boy that was growing inside of her to come early. Rio was obviously so excited to learn that he was having a son, and Beth was too, because that meant she could close up shop. The girls helped Beth and Rio to choose baby names and they had all settled on Matteo Christopher Garcia Marks. 

Beth was nearing the end of her second trimester when the worst thing that could ever happen, happened. One day in early December Beth went to pick the girls up from school and they were not outside with their class when she pulled up into the carpool lane. 

“Hi Mrs. Garcia, the girls dad picked them up early! I’m sorry, did you forget?!” The girls teacher Ms. Kaspberry asked as she waited outside with a few other children from the twins class.

Beth was taken aback by the statement because clearly Rio was still in jail so he couldn’t have possibly picked up the girls from school, but Beth couldn’t say that to the teacher so instead she said, “I’m sorry who?!”

Beth started to become frantic but she wanted to remain calm. She looked at Ms. Kaspberry as she searched the clip board for the early dismissal log. 

“Ahh here it is, it was their step-dad, Mr. Brian Falchi!”

Beth thought to herself, how could she be so stupid, so absentminded, she had forgotten to take Brian off of the authorized pick up log from the girls school. All she could think about was the call she had to make to Rio.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love honest feedback....lay it on thick lol! Enjoy Xo😘


	9. Innocence lost 2.2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beth works with her family to get her girls back and Brian plays a dangerous game.

Beth’s right hand went over her mouth to muffle her scream. Her eyes were big and she couldn’t stop the tears that were forming in her eyes. Ms. Kaspberry just looked at her confused clutching the clipboard. Cars were honking in the car pool lane and Beth was frozen in place. “Mrs. Garcia is there something wrong?!”

Beth looked at the confused teacher shaking her head no, and sped off out of the parking lot. Her thoughts getting the best of her, “He’s just mad, he won’t hurt them right? He just wants to get back at me, but he’s probably playing a game with them, or taking them for ice cream, everything will be ok.” She was crying and didn’t even realize it. Beth went all the way home hoping that Brian would be there with her girls and he wasn’t.

Dags was just pulling up in front of the house when he saw her speed in the drive way, and exit the car nearly tripping over her own feet. 

When he walked up the drive way he opened her car door, and locked it before closing it shut, and going behind her in the house because she didn’t lock the door.

She went into her bedroom and dug inside of her purse for her phone to call Rio, it was 2:55 pm. As soon as she heard the phone pick up she yelled, “Christopher, I- I- Brian, he took our babies! I went to pick them up from school and he took them! I’m scared and I don’t know what to do! I’m sorry it’s all my fault!” Beth was sobbing hard into the phone.

Rio was fuming on the other line but trying to stay calm for Beth, “Elizabeth, please calm down. It’s not good for the baby, imma take care of this aight?! Did you see anyone outside of the house?!”

She touched her stomach. Matteo was moving around and she didn’t even notice it because of her current stress. “No, I- I came in as fast as I could thinking that they would be here. I can’t calm down, I’m scared! Why would he do this? They are innocent.”

Rio felt powerless and hearing Beth crying and hysterical didn’t help. “Dags or one of my boys should be outside.”

Before either of them could speak again Dags did from the hallway voice heavy and loaded, “I’m here boss.”

Beth jumped up from her bed to see him standing between the stairs and her bedroom door. “Christopher, Dags is here!” 

“Aye, Put me on speaker!” She pulled the phone from her ear and hit the speaker button.

“Dags call Cisco and find out the last address Gretchen gave him for this guy, so one of y’all can go and get my kids from this lunatic! Don’t do anything to him, aight?! He’s not a low-life so we gotta handle it another way. Elizabeth, I want you to stay in the house, do not leave for any reason, call your sister and best friend to come over with you, and when I call you back call the police!”

Beth hated that she was pregnant because she felt vulnerable and powerless. She felt responsible for all of this and she wanted to do something. “What if he calls me, what do I do? I can’t just sit here while he has my babies!” Beth sounded frantic and it wasn’t helping the situation.

“Elizabeth, I don’t want you getting involved, aight? What is it going to help if you and the baby get hurt too?! I’m begging you just this one time to stand down. Let me handle it ma! If this jackass calls, which we both know he will, you call Cisco and give them the address!” 

Rio was scheduled to get an early release from prison the following week, but he didn’t want to tell Beth and the girls getting their hopes up in case plans changed.

Before Beth could say another word Rio hung up.

“Mrs. G, it won’t do any of us any good if you don’t listen to Rio, so can you please just...” Dags looked at Beth pleading for her to obey Rio, because he didn’t know how to say it to her without being rude. He didn’t know how Rio kept his cool all these years dealing with Beth being as hard headed and often choleric as him in situations.

“Okay, but if he calls I’m going with you!” Beth was adamant to face Brian. She wasn’t going to let him think that she feared him.

Dags just shook his head. “I’m going to wait outside, let me know if he calls you, I need to call Cisco.” 

Beth’s phone rung and Dags turned around. Beth stood stiff just looking at the phone. Dags hit the green answer button and speaker and said, “Talk!”

Beth snapped out of it, “Hello.”

“Hi mommy me and Bella are having ice cream, why didn’t you come with us?”

Beth started crying again, “GiGi, baby I want to come tell me where you are ok, and I’ll come right away?!”

“Mommy what’s wrong?”

“I’m ok Lolly, just want to see you and Bella, so tell me where you are ok?” Beth was frantic.

Before GiGi could say another word Brian took the phone back, and took it off of the speaker.

“Listen bitch, you took everything from me, and now I’m going to take everything from you if you don’t give it back!”

“Brian please-, please don’t hurt them.” Beth was hysterical and pleading. 

Dags was standing there so uncomfortable at the whole scene and what he was hearing. He never had to be this involved in personal matters with Rio and Beth, and right now he was wishing that the entire house could swallow up underneath him.

Brian laughed and it was menacing to Beth’s ears. “I’m not going to hurt them, I want to hurt you! You are the one who broke our family up! So you have to fix it or you have to pay!” 

Beth begged,“Whatever you want me to do I’ll do it, just please-!”.

“I’m moving back in tonight and you’re going to put this ring back on and we’re going to act like none of this happened ok?! I’ve already talked to the girls so no funny business Beth!” 

“Ok, I promise, just please bring them home now.” Beth was shaking.

As soon as Brian hung up the phone Dags stepped into the hallway to call Cisco and Rio on a three-way to tell them what happened. 

Beth called Annie and Ruby and before they could greet her she started crying into the phone, “He took my babies, I went to pick them up from school and they were gone! He won’t leave us alone! What am I going to do Rio is supposed to come home this month and he can’t be here he’ll kill him! 

“Beth calm down! Who took them?! What is going on?” Annie was leaving work and just getting into her car.

Ruby didn’t even ask questions, “ I’m coming over now.”

Beth said, “Brian, guys don’t park near the house ok?! I don’t want him to know that anyone else is here.” 

Beth went to the kitchen to get something to eat. With everything going on she didn’t even realize that she didn’t have lunch and her stomach and back had began to cramp. She could see Dags sitting on the picnic table from the kitchen window. 

Dags called Rio and Cisco on three-way.

“Aye, I didn’t get to call Cisco because he called her while I was here. This guy said that he’s coming here tonight with the girls and moving back in. Boss what do you want me to do because he seems pretty fucking unhinged.”

Cisco said, “I’m calling Gretchen and then I’ll be there.”

Rio was quiet for a minute before saying roughly, “Call the police.” 

Dags said, “Rio, man he kidnapped your fucking kids and you wanna call the police?!”

Before Rio said anything Cisco chimed in, “Rio’s getting out next week and we can’t have any problems before that happens.”

Rio said, “Just make sure my girls are safe. Imma need someone to be inside of the house and I need a detail for Elizabeth and the girls until he’s gone.” 

He was not happy with Beth at all, but he didn’t want to upset her more by arguing with her about the obvious. Rio was actually surprised that this guy didn’t want much for his children’s life knowing how wealthy their parents were. Brian really just wanted Beth but Rio wasn’t parting with her in this time or the next. 

Dags went back into the house after he ended the phone call, and Beth was sitting with Ruby and Annie.

“Mrs. G, you need to call the police and let them know the guy took the girls.”

Beth, Annie, and Ruby all gasped. 

Beth looked stunned at the fact that Rio actually wanted to get the police involved and Dags could read her facial expression. 

He said, “Between you and me Rio’s getting out next week, and this little issue of yours is causing some problems so we need to handle this civilly and discretely.”

Ruby said, “ I agree Beth, you should call the police now, before he gets here and things get worse than they already are.”

Beth looked terrified and she placed her hand over her stomach, “ He has my babies and what if he finds out?! He’s gonna hurt them, he told me ”no funny business”, so what if he sees the cops and drives off with them?! I won’t put my girls in anymore danger!” 

Annie said, “Did he say what time he was coming? It’s 4 o’clock right now?! Maybe try calling him back?!”.

Beth looked at all of them before grabbing her phone to dial the number back on speaker phone, “Brian, uh- what time are you coming with the girls?!”

“Why?! Who’s there?! I told you no funny business Beth!”

“No ones here, I want to see them, I want to know that they are ok?!” Beth was becoming distressed at his tone. 

Brian said, “You know, I think maybe we’ll have a sleepover instead and come tomorrow!”

Dags was already on his phone texting Cisco, “We need that last address ASAP, he’s playing games with Beth, not bringing girls here! Meet me here now!”

Cisco replied, “I have it en-route now.”

Beth was still on the phone with Brian. She said, “Please bring them home, they have school tomorrow, and they have homework! They have never stayed the night with alone you’ll confuse them. Bella can’t sleep without Mr. Wiggles her bunny.” Beth pleaded with him. 

Brian hung up the phone and Beth ran to her room yelling with Ruby and Annie going behind her to calm her down.

When Cisco arrived to the house he told Annie to help Beth to call the police and report the girls kidnapped. He and Dags left to go to the condo that Brian had just purchased in downtown Detroit. 

Brian had no clue that he had just signed his own death certificate kidnapping the most feared Kingpin in Detroit’s twin daughters.

Some people never learned to leave well enough alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Garcia’s is coming to a close soon, so how are y’all feeling?!


	10. The bad guy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rio has to make a power play and Cisco and Dags help to get the twins back home to Beth.

Beth, Ruby and Annie sat in the kitchen after Cisco and Dags left trying to figure out what to say when they called the police. 

“Beth do it! They said they weren’t going to hurt him but he needs to be arrested!” Annie looked so scared and Beth hated that she was right, but she felt so guilty for dating Brian knowing she was married.

“I agree B, call them before they get there, he should have just left you guys alone, it’s all on him now!” Ruby was always the voice of reason when she needed assurance for hard decisions.

“I think I’m going to call Jimmy.” Beth looked at them nervously. “I know he hates us but he would make sure that Brian goes to jail for this if he is involved. He wants to see me miserable anyway!”

“No way Beth, Rio won’t like him being involved at all!” Annie pleaded with her using her eyes. 

“He’ll probably find out anyway, but fine.” Beth started to dial 911, and the operator said “911, this call is being monitored and recorded, what is your emergency?”

“Hello, my, my- ex-boyfriend took my daughters from school without my permission. He’s refusing to bring them home or tell me where they are and I’m worried.”

“What is your address?”

“2417 Heronwood Drive”

“What is your name mam?” 

The loud taps on the computer rang through Beth’s phone and she started becoming uneasy. Her and Rio never called the police for anything and it made her nervous.

“Elizabeth Garcia.” Beth hated how many questions they asked but she knew it was necessary. She wanted to get off the phone and text Cisco or Rio to see what was going on. 

“What’s your boyfriends name?”

“Bri-, Brian Falchi.” Beth felt so guilty. She knew this would not end well and she didn’t know how to help him now.

“Can you describe him mam?”

“Umm, he’s 6’2, about 230 pounds, white, brown hair, blue eyes, and he has dimples.”She was vague.

“His last known address was 1247 Woodward Avenue, apartment 4F. It’s The Lofts of Merchant Row. He moved a few months ago but he may have went back when we broke up.”

“What are your daughter’s names mam?!”

Beth started to get choked up, “Isabella and Gabriella Garcia Marks.”

“Mam it’s going to be fine ok? Just a few more questions, “When did you see them last?”

“Umm, this morning, I dropped them off at school around 7:30 am.”

“ Can you give a brief description of them mam?”

“Isabella has long straight brown hair, a round nose and face, and light tan skin, and blue eyes. Gabriella has long brown curly hair, dark brown eyes, a round nose and face, light tan skin, and a chin dimple.” Beth felt winded so Annie went to get her water.

“What were they wearing?” 

“They both have on school uniforms. It’s a white button up shirt, blue cardigan sweater, blue skirt, blue leather dress shoes, and they have on pink polka dot head bands. They are 8 years old and attend Detroit Country Day School. 

An amber alert came through Ruby and Annie’s cellphones.

Beth drank the water. Her chest was heaving so Ruby started to rub her back.

“Ok mam do you think that he would have any harmful intent?!”

Beth’s calm composure cracked and she started sobbing, “He’s angry with me, I don’t know!”

“Do you know have an idea of where he would take them?”

“When they called earlier Gabriella said they were having ice cream...I don’t know his current address.”

“Ok mam, we’ll have dispatch out to your house shortly and an amber alert has been issued.”

Beth hung up the phone and she had no idea of what was going on.

Cisco and Dags had arrived at the current address that Gretchen had given them for Brian. He moved to Capital Parks Lofts in downtown Detroit. They got to the fifth floor and they could hear Bella crying before they even knocked. It was now 7:30 pm so she was clearly getting frantic about bedtime and why they were still not home with Beth. 

Dags knocked on the door hard, “Aye Man, Building security, open up!” He covered the peephole so Brian couldn’t see on the other side of the door. 

He said, “I’m sorry, I’ll have my little girl to quiet down.”

Dags wanted to kick the door down he said, “ Naw buddy just open up I have a package for you!” Him or Cisco didn’t want to use guns in front of the girls, but they would knock him around if need be.

Cisco was on the side of the door texting Beth, “Found girls, call police in now to give them this address 1145 Griswold Street, Apt 5F. Let them know someone will be here to take the girls.”

Beth texted back, “Thank you!”

Brian opened the door slightly and Dags and Cisco pushed their way into his apartment. Bella was sitting on the couch crying and GiGi was sitting beside her hugging her trying to get her to calm down. They both still had on their uniforms but they were dirty and had ice cream stains on them. 

Bella never wanted to go with Brian when he showed up at the school, because she knew that Beth didn’t let him come back into the house. GiGi still mad with Beth had convinced her to go saying, “Bella he wants to be our dad, he’s taking us for ice cream ok, we can see mommy later!”

Brian was caught off guard and he was outnumbered saying, “Who the hell are you?!”

Bella and GiGi looked up at the commotion, and started running towards Cisco and Dags and said, “Uncle Donte, Uncle Caesar!” The girls hugged them and Cisco told them to go sit back down on the couch. Bella stopped crying but her face was still littered with tears.

“Hey they’re staying with me tonight, their mother knows where they are!” Brian looked at the two men defensive.

Dags said, “Oh is that right? See cause I heard you tell her you weren’t bringing them home until you got ready!” His face was serious and he wanted to kill Brian.

Brian cowered holding up his hands saying, “ look man you can take them, I wasn’t going to hurt them I swear, I just wanted her to take me back!” Cisco made Brian sit in a chair until the police came to take a full report giving their statements and the girls accounts of what Brian did. Brian was arrested that night and charged with felony second-degree kidnapping of the girls. 

He didn’t even make it to bail review the next day he was found handing in his cell. Rio had the hit made as soon as he was alerted that his name went into the system. Two of Rios boys got arrested that night on bogus charges so that they could do the job and send him pictures. They had strangled him and hung him by his own shirt as the police on shift sipped their coffees. The arresting officer who also worked for Rio let them in and out of their holding cells to get the job done, and paused the tape in the offices so that the crime wouldn’t be captured.

Cisco and Dags took the girls home to Beth who was waiting by the door when they came. They made sure to call Rio and let him know they were home with her safely.

Rio called Beth later that night. The girls were asleep in her bed and she was watching the James Corden show, one of her favorite Actresses was on, Julianne Moore. When the phone rang she was afraid to answer, afraid to talk to Rio. She knew he was probably fuming over the whole fiasco and would never forgive her for what she did to him, and almost their girls. She rubbed her stomach as she answered the phone, she seemed to be getting bigger everyday.

“Hello.” Beth bit at her bottom lip anticipating the conversation with Rio.

“Hey mama, how are my girls doing?”

“We’re fine. They are in the bed with me sleeping, I’ll probably pay for it tomorrow.” She giggled.

Rio was silent and Beth took the phone away from her ear to make sure it didn’t get disconnected.

“Christopher, thank you.” She regretted a lot of things but falling in love and marrying him almost 14 years ago wasn’t one of them. 

Rio was choked up by remained calm saying, “Anything for my girls, right?!” 

Beth smiled, “Yeah, and I’m sorry about everything.”

Rio wasn’t ready for the conversation and he didn’t know if he ever would. The whole ordeal too painful and made him feel like at the drop of a dime he could lose it all again. He had to go straight. He had to figure out how to leave the gang alone for good if he wanted what mattered most. He said, “Aye look, I just called to say, I love you and I’ll see you soon yeah?!”

“I love you too.” Beth knew he was upset and she didn’t know how she could ever repair what might be broken, but she knew that they both were committed to do the work.

“Good night Christopher.”

“Good night Elizabeth.”

Rio wanted to tell her that he was coming home on Monday, but he didn’t want to ruin the surprise. He thought, “just a few more days & I’ll be back with my family.” He went to bed holding a picture of him and Beth at the girls first birthday party. A sentiment to him of when things were good between them and he was home. He longed to have that again after four years in prison.


	11. A child will come to save them all

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Moving forward is hard to do for the Garcia family, will Beth and Rio be able to get past all of the hurt they have caused each other in order to stay together?
> 
> *** please read the tags because there will be a few heavy topics that come up.
> 
> ***sorry for the wait guys! I finally came home from being out of the country for four months! I am trying to settle in to home again and keep up with my social life on and off line! I have been through a lot of changes personally so bare with me! All stories will be updated and or finished soon! The Garcia’s will actually have twelve chapters because I didn’t want to rush their story.

Cisco had picked up Rio from the prison at 12 pm on Monday Morning. He still didn’t tell Beth that he was coming home sooner than she thought. When he walked out and saw Cisco waiting for him he was happy to see his friend, but he’d wished that his wife and children were there instead. As the days got closer he talked to Beth but the bitterness that he had for her was starting to return. 

Rio had never experienced the level of resentment that he had for Beth over the past few months. He loved Beth and knew that he wanted to be with her, but he didn’t know when the ill feelings would dissipate. Rio decided that he would just focus on cleaning up his business dealings to eventually go straight, and spending time with his daughters. 

He had Cisco to schedule a meeting with local affiliates to renounce his throne and illegal business dealings in Detroit on Friday, and it gave him just enough time to settle back in at home. 

“Rio, I know you happy to be out!” Cisco smiled as his dapped Rio up and leaned in for a short hug.

Rio smiled, “Man, I can’t wait to eat real food! My ma, is having dinner tomorrow for me at 6, you and Dags gotta come through!”

They got in the car and continued the conversation.

“So what you wanna do first boss?” Cisco looked over at Rio briefly as he drove. 

“Take me to the barbershop, and then we can swing past Neiman Marcus I wanna grab something for my girls. Our anniversary was a week ago and I missed it. I missed 4 anniversaries so I gotta make it up to her man, and I need to clean up so I can go grab my whip from the Mercedes dealer.”

“Aight, cool.”

They talked the rest of the drive and Cisco got Rio caught up on current events and business dealings in their world. Rio talked to Cisco more bout expanding his businesses legally and Cisco told him that majority of his team was willing to go straight with him, while some wanted to get his blessing to go and work for another affiliate when the time came, to which Rio agreed was fair.

Rio went into Neiman’s and bought the twins some toys and accessories that a sales girl helped him to pick out. He picked up some stuffed animals for Matteo to put in his crib, an upgraded wedding ring for Beth, and flowers from a local boutique.

He wanted to give her the ring when he felt like they were on better terms, or rather when he had fully forgiven her for her affair. He thought he was over it but in realty he wasn’t, and he knew that he wouldn’t be able to hide his feelings. 

Rio decided that for their anniversary he would let Beth choose a vacation for them to go on together for Christmas with their girls. 

They had been together for too long to hide from each other, no matter how hard they tried to slip masks on. He just had to get over what she had done so they could move on. He wanted to be there with his family, but he also needed the space to re-acclimate himself with them, with Beth. He changed into a a black Palm Angels hoodie, Tshirt, and jeans, some black Gucci sneakers, a black Gucci bomber jacket and Beanie. The snow hadn’t fallen yet in Detroit but it was cold in December.

It was after 7 pm when Rio arrived to the house in his brand new Matte Black Mercedes G550 truck with tints, chrome dipped rims, and red leather interior. He had pre-ordered it when he got his early release date through his long time sales representative. He saw Dags sitting outside of the house and he got out and walked over to his car and knocked on the window. Dags got out shocked.

“Rio, man what the fuck!” He smiled and he hugged him.

“Hey man, wassup?! Thanks for hanging out here.” 

“Yeah man no problem at all! Mrs. G is getting huge, I mean you know with the baby and all! You excited?” Dags was grinning from ear to ear.

“Yeah I am, she said it’s a boy.” Rio was smiling. 

“But look imma head inside, thanks again aight? I’ll be in touch.” Rio dapped him up and then went to get the bags out of the car before making his way to the front door.

Bella and GiGi were in the living room watching television and Beth was in the kitchen finishing up dinner. She wobbled all the way to the door to answer it not realizing it was Rio.

She yelled out , “Coming, just a minute.” 

She was wiping her hands with a dish towel as she stopped to talk to the girls from the hallway by the downstairs Den.

“Hey girls, clean up in here and go and wash up for dinner.”

Beth looked through the peep hole ad thought she’d seen a ghost. She took a deep breath and opened the door.

“Hey mama,” Rio smirked at Beth as he sat the bags and flowers down to hug her. His body reacted to her pheromones instantly, and it was primal. If he could’ve taken her right in the doorway he would’ve. Beth always smelled nice but it was those subtle hints of vanilla and bergamot that seemed to seep from her skin that he loved most.

She looked at the drive way and saw the new truck but still asked, “Christopher, how did you get home? Why didn’t you call me? Oh my God this is a wonderful surprise !” Beth was excited and she reached in to hug him again, and Rio wrapped his hands around her belly and the baby started to kick.

Beth started giggling, “I guess Matteo is excited daddy is home too!” Her cheeks and chest blushed up and her freckles showed through. 

“Yeah, I guess so.” Rio pulled back to pick up the bags and he gave Beth the flowers.

“Thank you, they are beautiful.” She smiled as she closed the door. 

Bella and GiGi were walking down the stairs and they were talking about their upcoming Christmas recital.

“Mommy’s making us red jumpsuits to play the elves, but we have two more scenes to dance in and I don’t know what we’re wearing yet.” Bella was always the anxious one needing to know every detail at all times just like Beth.

“Bella, Mommy is gonna make sure we have everything so don’t worry ok, it’s going to be fun!” GiGi always had to calm her down so that she wouldn’t get herself wound up.

Rio’s voice was low and modulated “I can’t wait to see it.”

Both of them looked up and started screaming, “Daddy, Daddy, Daddy,” as they ran the rest of the way down the steps towards Rio. 

“Hey, how’s my princesses doing?” Rio pulled back from the hug and smiled at them both of his girls kissing them on the forehead. They were so emotional like their mom so of course they were crying. 

Beth just stood and watched from the hallway and she got teary eyed too.

They all sat and had dinner together talking and catching up. Rio spent most of the time talking to the girls and Beth felt like an outsider looking in on the conversation. The girls did not want to go to bed that night and it took Rio awhile to get them to wind down after he helped Beth to clean the kitchen.

He sat in their room after they put on their pajamas telling them a bedtime story, and Beth had to come down the hall to see what was taking him so long to come to bed twice. She peaked in and the girls nor Rio paid her any mind both times as she watched from the door. 

When he finally came to bed Beth was visibly naked watching television, and her baby bump was shaped like the moon under the blue duvet. She had on the diamond necklace and bracelet he had brought her and it looked divine around her neck. She had been having to get herself off since she had kicked Brian out, but it was not the same as having a warm body beside her, touching her. 

She was happy to finally have her husband back, all of him. Rio went into the en-suite to wash up and when he came out he was fully clothed in pajamas. Beth looked at Rio confused but she opted not to say anything. 

He said, “You still need the light,” before he turned it off.

“No.”

When he climbed into bed he faced her like he always did and she reached out for his hand to pull him in closer.

Her voice was honeyed when she smiled at him, “Touch me.”

“I can’t.” He knew he couldn’t avoid this and was even contemplating staying at his mothers, but he wanted to release his guys from babysitting duty watching Beth and the girls.

Beth sat up on her elbows to talk to Rio and her face was scrunched at the nose showing her confusion.

Rio took a minute but eyes still focused on Beth, “I don’t want to talk about it right now Aight? Let’s just go to bed.”

“I don’t wanna go to bed, I want my husband to make love to me, I want to feel wanted.” Beth was getting upset and he knew it, could hear the cracking in her voice.

Rio wanted her too but he felt like he wasn’t ready. Being back in the house and in bed with Beth was what he wanted for years but his anger was starting to grow larger than his want. It seemed like the thoughts about Beth’s betrayal was coming back to him as the night progressed. He thought he was over the affair but the contempt he was feeling proved otherwise. Deep down he also still had doubts about the paternity of their son and it stayed at the forefront of his mind. 

Beth figured teasing him would help to set the mood so she said, “Christopher, what’s wrong? I know you want it. I saw your hard cock when you slid into bed.” She smirked at him while pulling the duvet down to show her breast, knowing that talking dirty would send him over the edge.

He felt like he had to make her pay for what she had done with Brian. He was gonna refuse to have sex with Beth until he was ready, but he never could resist her even when he was mad. He went against his better judgement that night and it was something he would soon regret. Rio reached out and touched her stomach, rubbing it all over the top, never going to low. 

Beth figured he was teasing her back so she tried to sit up again so that she could climb on top of him and take control. Rio rolled to stand up on his knees grazing the top of her belly making her instantly lie back in bed. He looked into her eyes as he took her arms and held them both down at the sides of her body. 

“This what you want?” Rio looked at her eyes dark and voice toneless. He knew that Beth liked it a little rough sometimes so that jealous part of himself used it to manipulate the situation.

Beth nodded her head “yes” with her bottom lip clenched between her teeth.

Rio’s cock was already erect from the time he realized she was naked betraying him, and his need to punish Beth for cheating on him.

While holding Beth’s arms down so that she couldn’t touch him or herself Rio bent down and kissed her stomach, then pulled his dick out, and rubbed it against her pussy to make sure that she was wet. When he felt her wetness he thrusted inside of Beth causing her to gasp loudly. He stared into her eyes as he thrusted into her rough.

Beth whispered to Rio, “I want to touch you, let my arms go.” He just looked at her face hard, jaw tight as if he didn’t hear anything she said, in fact it made him grip her forearms tighter possibly causing her arms to bruise.

Beth moaned as his thrusts continued but also felt like Rio was being a little too rough considering the baby. She lifted her head and he wouldn’t come in to close the distance to kiss any other part of her, and she realized that he had slipped his mask on. She looked at him doe eyed, bottom lip between her teeth, pleading with him to ease up, but when he didn’t she couldn’t take anymore.

She raised her voice at him while writhing uncomfortably underneath him, “Christopher, let my arms go, it hurts!” Beth couldn’t even focus to enjoy it, and after Rio thrusted into her three more times spilling inside of her he let her arms go and pulled out of her.

Rio didn’t even take his lounge pants or clothes off when he had sex with her that night. He tucked himself back into his pants and he laid back beside her body facing the door.

Beth slid out of bed to go into the en-suite to clean up and tears were coming down her face as she covered her mouth to mute her sobs. She stood in the mirror to look at herself and her forearms where Rio had held her down were red and they ached. She cleaned herself up, took off the jewelry. and she put on her robe to go back to bed. Rio had never done that before and Beth felt humiliated.

She laid back in bed beside him as tears still flowed from her eyes and after a few minutes passed unable to hide her discontent she said, “Why? Why would you do that with our son inside of me Christopher? All of this time and this is what I have to look forward too, you punishing me?” 

Rio laid beside her quiet. He knew he shouldn’t have touched her at all feeling the way he did, but he couldn’t control what came over him looking down at her, and remembering all that they went through in the previous months. He thought about Brian, whom he had only seen in pictures, in his house, in their room, in their bed, kissing Beth, abusing Beth, inside of Beth, and he raged. 

Neither of them had ever slept with anyone else in all the years they they were together, and thinking about Beth sleeping with someone else made him sick. Rio knew he was wrong but the flashbacks of their last  
visit at the prison and divorce papers came rushing to the front of his mind and he blacked out. 

His voice was heavy with regret when he told her, “I’m sorry Elizabeth. I’m not ready for us, for this, I thought I was, but I’m not. I’m sorry I hurt you.” He got up and didn’t even look back at Beth. He left out of the room shutting the door behind him as she cried. After sitting by their room door listening to Beth cry herself to sleep for what felt like hours he finally went to the guest bedroom. He slept there that night, the night after, and for what felt like months to Beth. She felt like her husband came back but it wasn’t the Rio she had fell in love with nearly 23 years ago, and that broke her down. 

Tuesday Morning- December 12th

Rio was gone before Beth woke up the next day but he had texted her phone, “Gm, my Ma is having dinner for me at her place at 6, I’ll be home to pick you and the girls up by 5:30.”

Rio had went to visit his two warehouses with another gang leader in Detroit who was buying him out that morning. He wanted to introduce him to everyone who was staying on board as well as finalize their deal, and schedule a tentative date for handing over everything.

Beth thought about the dinner at Carmela’s and texted Rio back, “I’ll make sure the girls are ready, but I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to attend.” 

She thought about the last time she saw Carmela and then Carolina and she couldn’t even think about how Christina was feeling about her so she decided that not attending was best for everyone. 

He texted her back, “Elizabeth, I wasn’t asking. I’ll be there by 5:30 aight”

Beth wasn’t going and he wasn’t going to make her, husband or not, so she decided she would have Annie come to her house to wait with the girls. She went to Diane’s house until they left. She hadn’t spoken to any of his family after getting engagement to Brian, and now that Rio was back they probably would try to talk him out of staying in his marriage anyway. The whole ordeal was becoming more than she had anticipated.

Beth got up to start her day and get the girls ready for school. She felt sore so she took it easy when walking, and planned to come home and take a long bath when she got the girls to school. Annie, Ruby, and Mick had been running Marks and Co. while she was out on an early maternity leave, but she checked in with them about business.

Mick had seemingly gotten over being fired by Rio and had stopped by often to help Beth out with household things the further along she had gotten in her pregnancy. 

He didn’t even know that Rio was home, but Beth had thought about hosting her own welcome home dinner after Rio had settled in thinking it would help him come around.

Beth had no clue of what was going on with Rio, and she hated to pry when he seemed to be on edge. Over the years she has learned when to push him and when to fall back. She planned to have a conversation with him and suggest that maybe they go to therapy. 

Rio seemed to be past the Brian engagement fiasco when he called to check in, but now that he is home things felt different. His stunt the previous night was abusive and hurtful, and it made Beth genuinely scared of him for the first time in the 24 years she’s known him. 

She texted Annie around 12 pm, “Hey can you come stay with the girls from 4:30 until about 5:30 pm today? They are going to dinner at Carmela’s with Rio. I’m not going and I don’t want to be here when he comes back.”

Beth could hear Annie even through a text ,“Omg Beth, He’s home?”

“Yes, and without saying too much, it’s different. I just have to wait until he comes around.”

Typical Annie to pry when she knew that if Beth was vague it meant the conversation was off limits. 

“What happened Beth?!”

“Can you come or not?!”

“I’ll be there but this conversation is not over! I’m coming to moms after he picks them up!”

“Thanks Annie.”

Beth spend the day around the house cleaning up what she could, and meal prepping lunches after she dropped the girls off at school. She baked some desserts to send with Rio and by the time she was done she picked the girls up from school letting the school know that they would miss afternoon activities. 

On the car ride back to the house Beth talked to the girls.

“Tonight daddy is taking you guys to Abuela Carmellas for a special dinner. Mommy isn’t feeling well so I’m going to stay home, but aunt Annie is gonna wait with you guys to meet daddy.”

Bella said, “Mommy who’s going to take care of you while we’re gone?”

“I’ll be fine. I just need to get some rest.”

“I baked you girls chicken empanadas for a snack while you wait, and a tres leches cake for the dinner, so make sure daddy takes it ok? It’s gonna be in the fridge in a red dish.”

They both said, “ok mommy.” And they went on talking to each other and telling Beth about their day.

Once they arrived home, Beth let the girls wash up and change into their dinner clothes, and have a snack while they did homework and waited for Annie to come.

She had re-dressed the girls from their school uniforms into pink sweater dresses with matching headbands, sparkly pink tights, and chestnut low cut ugg boots.

Annie showed up early to the house around 4:10 pm, so Beth was able to leave the house around 4:25 pm after giving her enough of the reunion with Rio for her to feel satisfied.

She was about to pull out of the driveway when Rio pulled in front of her nearly hitting her car to block her in their wrap around driveway. His cadillac was behind her and Annie’s car, so it would take her some maneuvering to get out if she wanted to back out of the drive way. 

He jumped out of his truck leaving it running and his drivers side door open, “Get out of the car Elizabeth, you ain’t running from this.”

She sat in the car frozen looking at him before saying, “No, they don’t want me there, you don’t want me! You just want to torture me and humiliate me. I’m not going with you.”

His jaw was tight and his gaze was intense, “Elizabeth, out of the car now!”

Beth waited a beat and then cut the car off and rested her head on top of her arms and the steering wheel. She gave herself a pep talk, “Beth, you can do this. It’s gonna be fine. Just go and get this over with for him, for your children. Just be strong.”

Rio walked over to her car trying to calm himself down. He tried to open her door, grabbing the handle so hard Beth thought he would break it, but it was locked, “Open the door.” He knew she would avoid going to dinner which is why he arrived home earlier than the initial time from his text this morning.

When she unlocked the doors he opened hers and grabbed her by the arm pulling her out of the car.

“Christopher get off of me!” She got out of his hold and reached back in the car to grab her purse and slammed the door.

He told her, “Go and get my kids and get your ass in the car now!” He invaded her space forcing her back against her car. 

She looked at him scornfully and yelled, “I can’t live like this! If this is what our life is going to be like now that you’re home I don’t want it!” She was breathing heavy and her whole face turned red.

Rio just looked at her smugly while taking his finger and pushing her hair out of her face, “You leave me and then what Elizabeth? How did that work out last time, huh?”

“It was a mistake ok? I was lonely and you were gone! The feds gave you seven years, and what I’m just supposed to wait, not knowing if you’ll ever be free?! You never thought about what this would do to me, to our girls!”

“You supposed to wait Forever, cause that’s how long I would wait for you!” 

“How long are you going to punish me for it, huh?! I love you and you know that so why are you doing this? Why are you being so rough with me and trying to hurt me?”

Rio lowered his voice and his eyes went dark like a shark about to devour its prey, and it made Beth look away from him. Those same eyes that people saw before he either killed them, or had someone kill them for screwing him over. She had never been the receiver of that look and for once in her life she was terrified of her husband. 

He wrapped his hand around the bottom of her face and made her look back at him. “We’re in this for however long it takes yeah, besides I’d hate for another one of your lil’ boyfriends to end up like the last one. Can’t nobody handle you like me. You and I know that darlin, so you best get your head straight!”

“Brian’s in jail! He’s not going to bother us anymore!” Beth yelled at him.

Rio chucked and Beth was confused, “Oh I know he’s not gon bother you or my girls. A dead man don’t bring anyone trouble. You should’ve seen him hanging in the cell from his own shirt. Poor guy didn’t even know who’s wife he was fuckin with! He ain’t know fucking you came with a death certificate, huh?”

Beth slapped Rio hard in his face and he just looked at her while he chewed on his tongue.

Beth pushed Rio out of her space and said. “Why? He didn’t hurt them! Why would you do that? Oh my God!” Beth broke down she was crying holding her hands up to her face.

His next statement spoke gravely to Beth and it felt like a burning thorn into her heart, “You crying for him in front of me after what he did to you? You’re disrespectful Elizabeth! That his baby inside of you too? Huh? You broke me, you broke us, and now you have to fix it Elizabeth. You ain’t running from this.”

He stepped back closer to her and wrapped his hand around the back of her neck, “ Go in there and get my kids and let’s go, now!”

She looked at him and felt humiliated, “I’ve apologized to you so many times and it’s still not enough! Maybe you don’t want to forgive me! You are different and I don’t like this version of you, nor do I want to be under the same roof with someone who is tormenting me. I’ve been through enough.” 

“It’s always about you yeah? Shut your mouth and go and get my girls now, we’re going to be late.”

She pushed Rio’s arm out of the way and wobbled up to the house, face red and teary eyed. She walked into the house trying to calm herself down, and could hear Annie talking to the girls from the kitchen.

Annie looked at Beth confused, “Beth what’s wrong?”

“Girls, lets go your dad is here.” She went to grab the dessert from the fridge.

She looked at Annie while wiping her face, and said, “I owe you one. Can you lock up for me?”

“Yeah sure, call me later.” Annie furrowed her eyebrows. She was worried about Beth but she knew Rio wouldn’t physically hurt her so she opted to sit this one out. She usually would try her hand at a sparing match with Rio, but after looking at Beth she figured it was not safe territory to tread so soon.

When Beth and the girls got outside Rio had their doors open to let them in. He helped Beth into the car, and then the girls making sure their seatbelts were secure.

He looked back at Bella and GiGi smiling as if he didn’t just torment Beth with those very same lips, “Aight, we ready?” Both girls said, “Yeahhh,” throwing their arms into the air, while Beth sat in the front staring out of the window. She was holding the dessert dish wishing that she could press a button to eject herself from the car.

GiGi said, “Papi I like your new car.” And Bella said, “ Yeah me too, it’s so cool!”

Rio looked at them through the rear view mirror smiling, “Thanks, I hoped you would. The red interior is nice right?”

Both girls said, “yeah!”

GiGi said, “You should buy mommy one and she can get pink seats daddy!”

Bella said, “Yeah, that would be so clutch!”

Rio said, “clutch huh? Is that right?”

They both said, “Yeah and giggled.”

He said, “Mommy has to be a good girl first.” 

Rio looked at a miserable Beth smirking facetiously and said “What about you mommy? You like daddy’s new car?” 

Beth looked over at him seething and said, “It’s nice”, and turned back towards the window.

Bella said, “Mommy, I thought you weren’t feeling good?” Followed by GiGi, “Are you ok now?”

Beth didn’t even get to say anything before Rio spoke for her, “ Awww girls, Mommy is ok. She just has to clean up her mess, but she’ll be fine.” He looked over at Beth one side of his mouth turned up at her in a cruel smirk saying, “Isn’t that right Ma ?”

Beth continued to look out the window ignoring him, and Rio reached over and squeezed her lower thigh making chills run down her spine. She looked at him brows furrowed and mouthed, “Please stop.”

He glanced at her briefly and said, “Be smart, yeah?”

When they pulled up to Carmela’s house the girls unbuckled their seat belts and ran up to the house. Beth didn’t even say anything which was so unlike her, because she hated when the girls were rough in their nice clothes. She just stared at the house through the passenger side window, not moving.

Rio got out of the car and walked around to her side to open the door.

“Elizabeth, c’mon lets go.” She got out and walked up to the house slow like she was getting ready to view her own corpse at a funeral. It was so cold outside, and she felt like her body was turning into an ice block even with multiple layers of clothes covering her body.

Christina met them at the door. She hugged Rio tight and kissed his cheek “Christopher, I’m so glad you’re home,” while turning to Beth and simply saying, “Beth” with a curt smile and gesture of a head tilt. Christina was Rio’s younger sister and she had always been close to Beth being that she wasn’t even 6 years old when her and Rio had started dating. They used to babysit her for Carmela and she often felt like their first child, but she could easily turn if Carolina tainted Beth’s name.

When they got into the dining room they could hear Christina talking and letting someone else in the house. Dags and Cisco had showed up and joined them in the living room shortly after they sat down. Carolina and Carmela hugged and kissed Rio, but Carmela was the only one to embrace Beth with a hug. 

Carolina had a personality like Beth and they often clashed because neither of them could hold their tongue. Carolina was always jealous of Beth because her mother loved her as a daughter, and never defended her when she and Beth had disagreements. 

They all sat around the table for dinner, and that is when the mayhem started.

Camila said, “Elizabeth I made some of your favorites tostadas, enchiladas extra spicy, mole, homemade guacamole, black beans, churros with chocolate sauce.”

Beth said, “Thank you, it sounds good,” giving a smile. She thought to herself briefly that the dinner might not go bad, but that thought did not age well.

Carmela and Rio sat at the heads of the table. Carolina sat directly across from Beth next to her husband James, but closer to Carmela, and she scoffed loudly. Beth between Rio and Dags, with Cisco sitting next him, Christina and her husband Cordero. 

The twins, Carolina, and Christina’s kids sat over in the corner at the children’s table.

Dags cleared his throat loudly. 

Beth looked over at Carolina giving her a look that said, “Do you really wanna do this,” and said to herself that she was not taking anymore shit from anyone besides her husband, because it was none of their business. Carolina gave a look that said “Try me bitch,” so Beth did. 

Beth glowered at Carolina and said, “Is there a problem?”

Carolina looked at Beth with disgust and said, “perra blanca malvada no te atrevas a desafiarme en la casa de mi madre!” Jaime grabbed at Carolina’s arm but she wasn’t backing down.

Everyone looked at Carolina like she had two heads, shocked that she would call Beth out in front of the family, especially the children. 

His mother and sisters often forgot that Beth had learned to speak Spanish before her and Rio where married taking classes in high school and practicing with Rio. He was supposed to teach it to the girls, but when he got locked up Beth didn’t press the issue being a single mom and business owner, and right now she was grateful that they only knew a few words.

Carmela shouted out at the table, “Carolina por favor, hoy no esta bien? hoy es para Christopher!”

Beth spat right back at Carolina, “¡Esta perra blanca no se lleva mierda de nadie más que de él! ¡Todos deben ocuparse de sus propios asuntos y mantenerse al margen de los nuestros!

Rio jumped in, “Hola, mis hijos están sentados aquí! Si quieres hablar, que hablar, pero no seas irrespetuosa Lina aight?!”

The children were so preoccupied they didn’t even realize what was going on at the table. 

Beth was fuming at this point and she wasn’t letting it go saying, “ ¡Beth ni siquiera quería venir aquí! Siempre es culpa mía, ¡nunca Rio! Mis hijos me odian, él me odia, todos deberían ocuparse de sus propios asuntos y vete a la mierda”

Rio stood up from the table and banged his fist on it, “¡Suficiente!”

Beth got up from the table slowly cradling her belly, and as soon as she did her water broke. The sloshing sound was so loud in the now quiet room and Beth’s pants were soaked. She was frozen and she closed her eyes embarrassed at the sight underneath her feet.

“Oh God, no, no, no!” Beth face was pink all over and she started breathing heavily.

Rio grabbed Beth’s arms help her sit back down and yelled, “Someone call an ambulance please.” He bent down so that he was eye to eye with Beth, “He’s gonna be ok mama, it’s just me and you aight?” He leaned in to kiss her forehead and hold her hands.

Beth said, “Okay.” having experienced miscarriages before made her nervous and she was scared. She didn’t want to experience losing another child again, especially not now in this fragile time in her life, in her marriage. 

“I’m scared Christopher, it’s too soon.” 

“Just relax ok, he’s gonna be fine I promise. I’m right here and I’m not going anywhere.” Rio stood in front of Beth shoes planted firmly in the mess beneath them.

Dags and Cisco wanted to know if Rio wanted to just drive Beth to the hospital, but he didn’t want to risk it knowing that if the baby came he wouldn’t be able to do anything to help him or Beth. 

Carmela immediately started praying out loud as she went to get a towel to clean the floor, “Dios por favor protege a mi hija y mi nieto!”

“ I’m barely 7 months.” Beth was in distress and Rio tried to maintain his composure so that everyone else would stay calm. 

The twins started crying and Christina got up to take all of the children into the family room away from the chaos.

“What’s wrong with my Mommy?” GiGi and Bella said as they held hands trying to get away from Christina to see Beth.

“Oh God. I’m going into labor. It’s too soon. God please.” Beth was whimpering during contractions but trying to stay calm.

Carmela continued to pray out loud until the ambulance came, “Dios, por favor, cubre a mi hija y mi nieto. Por favor perdonen sus vidas hoy en el nombre de Jesús. Por favor, cubre a mi familia con tu sangre, Jesús!”

Christina said, “Hey, she’s fine let’s go and watch some tv until dinner starts, we can have snacks!”

Bella was crying, “Please we wanna see our mommy tia’ Christina!” 

Beth was sitting back in the chair with Rio by her side, and Carmela had went to get a towel to clean up the amniotic fluid on the floor.

Carmela gave Rio a warm rag to place on Beth’s forehead to help her relax, but she couldn’t because the twins were wound up and would not go with Christina.

While taking large breathes Beth said, “Christina it’s fine. If they don’t know I’m alright they won’t sleep well tonight, and everyone will be miserable.”

Christina let the girls arms go and they went over to Beth.

“Lolly, Smooch, mommy’s okay alright your brother wants to come early to see us. She paused through another contraction, before saying, You’re gonna stay with Abuela Carmela tonight, while me and daddy go to see about your brother. Everything is going to be fine ok? Please be good. Me or daddy will call as soon as we can. Give me hugs and kisses.”

“Mommy, please we want to go with you!” Both girls were on either side of Beth cocooning her in with hugs and sobbing.

“Hey, I can’t get better if I’m worried about you two. You are my big girls and know you can do this for me. Stay and help Abuela Carmela and take care of each other.”

“Christopher, can you please help Christina to get them settled in.” Her contractions seemed to be coming every five minutes and she was digging her nails into the arm of the chair. 

Rio told them, “Girls, C’mon go with tia Christina.”  
He didn’t want to leave Beth’s side and he knew the girls wouldn’t argue with him.

The girls were both crying looking at Beth and holding hands. They gave Beth and hug and a kiss and went to Christina who was in the family room with her son and Carolina’s two children.

Carolina sat at the table looking at the scene that was unfolding knowing that later on her mother would scold her for upsetting Beth. 

Jaime asked Rio if it was anything he could do to which Rio responded toneless, “Get better control over your wife.” And looked away back towards Beth.

Beth was sitting back in the chair breathing hard and she was having contractions. Rio was rubbing her back and talking to her trying to keep her calm talking to her the whole time. 

“He’s gonna be ok aight? Both of you are gonna be ok. We are going to get through this like everything else ma, yeah?!” He looked at Beth and kissed her on the lips while he held her face in his hands.

Beth nodded apprehensively and said, “I'm so sorry Chris, I messed up”.

"Its alright mama."

The ambulance arrived and they went to the hospital. Cisco drove behind the ambulance and Dags stayed behind waiting for Carmela to finish packing food up to take to the hospital. 

Beth ended up staying in the hospital for four days after being in labor for less than an hour. By the time they had arrived to the hospital the baby was ready to come. When Rio took one look at him he changed his name. He was so small but mighty. 

The baby came out looking exactly like Rio from his hair to his feet, with Beth’s chin dimple. Any doubt Rio had in his mind about the paternity of him had washed away and he kissed Beth long and hard as he held on to their son. He had some respiratory problems so he had to be monitored until he breathed on his own. 

Rio re-named him Marcus Christopher Garcia. For Rio, Marcus symbolized the “God of War”, despite the personal wars that he and Beth had endured this year and the four years he was in prison he came to save them, to show them that they had something worth salvaging. Together and apart Marcus was the labor of their undying love for one another. A symbolism for Rio that their marriage could persevere through anything, and that he wanted more than anything to be with his wife and raise their children together. 

Beth and Rio went to the hospital every day until Marcus came home, if they didn’t stay the night. Beth was nursing Marcus so she wanted to be there for feedings and to pump so that the nurses would have fresh milk. Rio and Beth took turns with the girls at home when Diane or Carmela couldn’t keep them. Marcus stayed in the hospital for two and a half months in the NICU after he was born, so that he could be stabilized in order to come home. 

By the time Marcus had came home from the hospital Rio wanted to have dissolved all of his illegal businesses to go straight. 

They never got to take their Christmas vacation, so Rio purchased Beth another building to open Marks and Co. too. He also purchased two luxury apartment investment properties to help him stay afloat. During Valentine’s Day Rio always gave elaborate gifts for the girls and Beth, but Valentine’s Day was also sentimental just for him and Beth. This year he wanted to apologize to her and give them a clean slate before Marcus came home.

One of their first dates before they committed to being together as teenagers was on Valentine’s Day almost 23 years ago. Rio had rented out White Castle because one of his friends worked there, and Beth loved their food. Keeping the tradition going symbolized a time where their relationship was innocent and less tainted by life. It was just them, no kids, no hard crime, no FBI, no lies, or secrets. He hadn’t been able to spend a birthday or holiday with Beth in over four years, so he asked Diane to keep the girls that night so that he and Beth could have some time alone. 

Rio had still been sleeping between the guest room and Marcus’ room when he came home from prison. He and Beth had not been intimate since that night that he came home, but he was slowly starting to feel like himself again.

Seeing Marcus for the first time helped him to realize that he couldn’t stay angry with Beth forever if he wanted to truly be with her. They talked a lot more, but the lack of intimacy was killing the both of them. Neither of them gave in and often they would try to seduce each other with no results. Rio would use the shower in their room and purposely drop his towel while Beth was still laying in bed. Beth would walk around practically naked in front of him, but neither of them would ever initiate contact. Beth being unsure of Rio wanted her sexually, and Rio feeling like Beth would never let him touch her again.

Rio planned to call Beth while he was at one of the apartment buildings seeing the contractor to let her know that they were going out later that evening. He wanted to make things right with her so that they could really move on and start their new life together. One where he didn’t have to think about prison, lawyers, gang life, killing people, or watching his back.

Leaving the building Rio was looking at his phone to dial Beth when he heard a familiar voice.

“Hey Garcia, nice business you have here, you think I could rent out one of your apartments, me and my partner are looking to move soon?”

Rio looked up at Agent James turner and shook his head. This cop really had a hard on for him and it wasn’t the good kind.


	12. Returning to you and me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things fell apart to come back together.

“Yeah see, I don’t think I have anything available at the moment.” Rio smirked at him. He hated Turner with everything in him, and he wanted to kill him. He took everything Rio loved from him and almost cost him his wife, his children, and his businesses.

“Awww that’s too bad Garcia, I was really looking forward to doing some legal business with you!” He laughed.

“If you excuse me, I gotta family to get home too.”

“Oh yeah, you have a new baby right? Congratulations man! It had to be hard being away and your wife had someone else playing daddy huh?!”

Rio tried to stay calm but inside he was raging. Rio stepped closer into his space, “Watch your mouth when you talk about my wife aight?”

“Hey, is that a threat toward an officer of the law Garcia? I’m pretty sure that violates the conditions of your parole.”

Rio looked Turner in the eyes,“Stay away from me and my family yeah.”

“You just keep your hands clean and your face off of my wall and we’ve got a deal Garcia.”

Rio walked away from a laughing Turner seething and didn’t look back. Turner didn’t have to worry he didn’t plan on doubling back, but not because of the law or cops, it was for Beth, for his children.

Rio took a minute to calm down before calling Beth because he didn’t want her to worry. He drove to the girls school to pick them up because he knew Beth was still at the hospital with Marcus.

“Hi”

“Are you still with Marcus?”

“Yes, he’s busy today. The doctor said just a couple more weeks and he should be able to come home.”

“Aight, your mom is gonna keep the twins tonight, so I was thinking we could go out.”

Beth hesitated for a beat.

“Elizabeth”

“I’m still here. I was going to stay with the baby tonight. I don’t want to miss anything.”

“He’ll be ok ma. We’re overdue for some time alone and we need to talk.”

Beth swallowed feeling like a rock was stuck in her throat. She thought to herself, “he’s going to leave me. He’s finally going to get it over with.”

She said, “Ok.”

“Aight, I’m picking the girls up and taking them to your moms. I’ll be home by 5.”

“Alright, I’ll finish up here.”

“Ok.”

Later on that evening

Beth arrived home after Rio and he was in the shower when she came into their room.

She sat in the chair by the window near her boudoir waiting for him to finish.

When she heard the shower turn off her whole body tensed up.

Rio came out of the shower and she looked back at him.

“Hi.”

“Elizabeth.”

She cleared her throat, “Whatever you have to tell me you can just say it now, I can handle it. You don’t have to do this whole taking me out to let me down easy. I know I fucked up so I understand if you don’t want to be married to me anymore, if you want a divorce.”

She was crying. Tears were just streaming from her eyes and she couldn’t stop them. Feeling like the weight of the world and her marriage had been on her shoulders for months had finally made her crack.

“ I fucked up Chris.” She was shaking.

Rio walked over to Beth and grabbed her upper arms to pull her up to him, and her sobs went from quiet to uncontrollably loud.

He pulled her into his damp body with one hand wrapped around her waist and the other cradling the back of her head where her hair was pulled up into a messy ponytail.

“Please don’t cry. I’m sorry Elizabeth. I’m sorry I took so long. I didn’t mean to shut you out, but I’m gonna fix it.”

Beth pulled back from Rio’s embrace and she looked up at him still choked up, “What.”

He took his hand and wiped her tears, “I had to make things right, I couldn’t come back to you still fucked up over everythin, and in the streets. I had to clean up my act ma.”

“But every thing that happened I-.”

“It’s all in the past aight? You hurt me bad ma I can’t lie but I fucked up too, so let’s give us a clean slate yeah? 24 years and three kids is a lot to just throw away, yeah?”

Beth looked up at Rio and smiled as she hugged him tightly around his waist, “Yeah it is.”

“We in this for the long haul. That’s what we said and that’s what we doin ma.”

“I’m sorry for everything Christopher.”

“ It’s ok. Come on darlin lets get dressed. Oh and pack an overnight bag.” He patted Beth on her ass as he pulled back to start getting dressed.

“Where are we going?”

He looked back from his dresser drawer, “It’s Valentine’s Day, gotta take my wife out, on our special day.”

Beth sighed a relief that felt like she had been holding it in since Rio came home and it felt good.

“I forgot all about today,” Beth let out a nervous giggle.

Four years ago

7:30 pm “What time are you coming home Chris?”

8:15 pm “Why, what’s up? I’m finishing up somethin at the warehouses.”

8:16 pm “It’s your last night home! Maybe spend time with your wife and children, or did you forget about us?”

9:18 pm “Look, I gotta tie my loose ends aight, I’ll be home when I finish up here.”

9:19 pm “The girls are in bed. Those babies waited up for you! They don’t know that their dad is a selfish ass! Don’t bother coming home!”

He didn’t reply to her text.

Rio had to turn himself in on the following day for a seven-year prison term and tension had arose between him and Beth for days after his trial had ended. Rio was spending so much time closing up business that he was barely home. Beth was angry that Rio had spent his last day home away from her and the girls and she was prepared to let him know how she felt.

The twins were sleeping and after working all day trying to tie up loose ends with colleagues, and his boys Rio had finally come home to an angry Beth.

“Hey”

Beth scoffed and ignored him as she placed clean laundry in her drawers from the basket.

“Look, I’m not tryna come home to this! I had a long day aight?”

“You had a long day? All day I waited for you! I cook, clean, take care of our children, run a business, and the last day you have home you had everything else to do but be here! You’ll come home to this every time if you neglect your family!”

Rio walked into the en-suite and shut the door while he peed and tried to regain his composure.

Beth busted in the en-suite after him and he just looked at her nonchalantly as he peed.

“Why even come home at all! I mean what does it matter, because after tomorrow you won’t be here!”

He walked to the sink and washed his hands and then tried to walk around her back into the bedroom.

Beth grabbed at his hoodie, “I’m talking to you!”

Rio turned around and grabbed at Beth’s arms and she gripped the back of the hoodie tighter not letting it go.

“You got my attention aight, let me go, I ain’t doing this with you.”

“Doing what? Being an attentive husband for once or actually being present in this relationship?

Rio wrapped his arms around Beth’s wrist hard. They tousled and he eventually got her to let him go when fell onto the bed.

“Let me go!”

“You gonna calm down?”

“Fuck you!”

“Oh that’ll come later darlin!”

Beth writhed underneath Rio trying to free her arms.

“Elizabeth listen to me! We will make it work like we always have. I don’t have time to hold your hand through this, and I didn’t hear you complaining when the money I made provided for this lifestyle you love and your business! You spend it as fast as I can make it darlin’! How the fuck did you think we could afford all this huh? You think I work as a fucking congressman, oh wait maybe the CEO of a Fortune 500 company?”

Beth laid under him on the bed refusing to look at him. She had her head turned to the side and her eyes closed. 

She said angrily, “No, you don’t get to turn this around on me Christopher! You decided this! You could’ve done anything else to make a living! You have never cared about the consequences of your work! Get off of me now!”

Rio pulled himself off the bed still holding Beth’s wrist and he pulled her up so that she could be face to face with him. He wrapped his hand around the bottom of her face, “ Oh yeah, what could I have done Elizabeth, tell me, you wanted me to be a car sales man? Maybe that’s what you wanted huh? You don’t know shit about consequences, because I make sure you don’t feel em.”

“What? I’m feeling it right now, I’ll feel it for seven years! You don’t care about me or the twins! You stayed out all day and after tomorrow you’ll be gone! I’m done, I want out of this, I don’t want this anymore for me, or my girls!”

She pushed him off of her but he let her wrists go and grabbed her forearms and pushed both of them against the wall in their bedroom.

He pointed at her and said, “That’s what you do huh? You leave me when it gets bad! I don’t got time for this! You want a divorce fine, but when I get out I’m taking my kids, cause you ain’t having no other man around my girls.”

“You can’t do that I am their mother! I take care of them! ” Beth used her finger to press into Rio’s chest.

“And I’m their dad! They need me too!”

“Look you wanna leave me then leave, but you ain’t taking my kids Lizabeth! Go ahead, find you someone else who you think will make you happy, that’ll fit into this perfect life and marriage you have in your mind! I’ll be right here when you come to your senses, and realize that it’s always just gon be me and you darlin.“ Rio let Beth go and went to sit on the edge of the bed and hung his head.

Beth through her hands up,“ You just can’t do whatever you want and you won’t make me stay with you! I do everything for those girls, me, not you! God, I hate this! You don’t ever want to see things from my side! It’s not always about money!”

“You tell me Lizabeth, what is it about? I don’t wanna come home to this! If you not happy go, I’m not stopping you!”

She stepped closer into his space as he sat pointing her finger into his head, “You think I do? I don’t care about any of that and you know it! I wanted you, a family, and to be safe! Now the rug has been ripped from underneath of me!” 

Rio grabbed her arm again and Beth pulled away from him.

She took her wedding ring off and threw it at Rio’s face. 

“Fuck this house, the money, the business, the cars, jewelry, clothes, fuck all of this! Take it with you because I don’t want it!”

Beth went into the en-suite and slammed the door sobbing uncontrollably. Rio sat on the edge of the bed listening to her in the shower for five minutes before he undressed and went in after Beth.

She sat under the shower backwards letting the hot water hit her back. She didn’t even look at Rio when entered and sat beside her wrapping his arms around her tight and putting his head on her shoulder.

“I’m sorry aight, I wasn’t thinking and I should have. I should have spent the day with my family. I promise things will be different when I come home. Just please don’t give up on all that we built together. I’m begging you Elizabeth.” 

Beth cried, “What are we supposed to do without you? This isn’t like when we were kids Christopher, when it was just you and me. It’s it’s not six months, it’s not a year, it’s seven. You will miss so much with the girls and they’ll miss you.”

Rio lifted his head and took his hand and gently lifted Beth’s head by her chin, “I promise I’ll figure something out aight, I can’t be here physically, but I’ll make sure you and the girls are straight, always.”

Beth leaned over to wrap her arms around Rio and he pulled her into his lap saying, “I love you and I can’t just let you leave me Elizabeth. It’s for better or worse and I need you to keep me going. We will get through this together like we do anythin else ma. If you trust me like you always have we will make it. Seven-years is nothin.”

Beth mumbled into Rio’s neck, “I love you too Chris.”

Rio pulled out of Beth’s embrace and kissed her hard wrapping his hands around the sides of her neck and face. She kissed him back and wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his body from sitting with her knees up straddling him.

Beth could feel Rio’s erection and she wanted him angry and all. She wanted her last night with her husband to be in their own house, own bed, because she was unsure of what was to come the next day, or the next seven years after. 

As they continued to kiss under the water Beth lifted herself slightly to take all of Rio in and they both moaned. For a beat she just sat on his cock clenching around him with her arms around his neck tightly, as he pressed his fingers into her sides.

She whispered in his ear,” Christopher please, I don’t want you to go.”

For the second time since they had been together Rio started to cry too. He had only ever cried once in front of Beth when the twins were born. He was always so quiet Beth had to be looking to notice the tears in his eyes. He was choked up now vaneer all but cracking, “I know, but tonight I’m here so let’s make the best of it yeah? No more arguing aight mama.” 

Beth kissed him again looking at him and she wiped the tears from his eyes, and they made love in the shower, and then during the night and early morning after Rio carried Beth to bed. 

So many thoughts ran through Beth’s head constantly that she never told Rio, about him dying in jail, being murdered, being kept longer in jail, about him coming home and not wanting to be with her, and later down the line it was the reasoning for the choices she made. 

The love, passion, and intensity between Rio and Beth was unable to be concealed even when they were teenagers. No one had ever seen anything like it, not Diane, not Carmela, nor could they keep them apart. 

Rio would get mad at Beth, and then Beth would get mad at Rio, but ultimately they always found their way back to each other as if one couldn’t live or breathe without the other.

Beth stayed up all night unable to sleep just looking at Rio. She made a huge breakfast the next morning with Annie and Ruby’s help before Rio turned himself in at 12 pm and all of their family and friends came.

Beth drove Rio to turn himself in and other than raising the girls it was one of the hardest things she’d ever have to do in her life.

They stood at the gate of the prison a few minutes before Rio went in, and he could see Beth turning red trying to hold in her tears. “Elizabeth don’t cry please mama. We made a promise to each other yeah? You’ll wait for me and I promise shit will be different.” He went into his pocket and took her ring out to place it back on her finger. 

He cocked his his to the side and smiled, “Your my beautiful boss bitch, this nothin ma, we got this!” 

Beth was choked up and she could barely speak, “Okay.”

He hugged her tight and whispered in her ear, “ When I come home we’ll try for a boy yeah?”

Beth pulled back and smiled, “yeah, we should.”

“I love you Elizabeth, be good, and I’ll see you soon yeah?” Rio smacked her ass and grabbed it.

“I love you too Christopher, and yes soon.”

Rio pulled away from Beth and went to walk into the opening gates met by three correctional officers. 

Beth stood outside on the parking lot until she couldn’t see him anymore with her arms wrapped around herself. That night she slept with the twins, and that went on for awhile. The loneliness crept in faster than she anticipated and it covered her like a wet blanket. 

The visits and phone calls that took place over the course of four years didn’t help to subdue Beth’s worries or loneliness, and after two-years she started to feel like she needed an out again.****

They were both dressed and in the car going on their date. 

“So where are we going?” Beth looked over at Rio and smiled while holding his right hand as he drove.

“It’s a surprise mama.”

Five minutes later they pulled up to the White Castle on Michigan Ave.

Beth laughed, “ Oh my God. I haven’t eaten here in years, you remembered!”

“Yeah, I guess I did. We goin through the drive through though cause we’re goin somewhere else.”

Beth got one of each burger on the menu, children rings, loaded fries, gooey butter cake on a stick, and a chocolate shake. Rio opted for just a vanilla shake and fries.

“Ugh I can’t believe I used to love this!” Beth laughed as she finished the dessert taking one bite of everything else as they ate on the drive and throwing the rest away.

Rio laughed, “Oh, I know. When you were pregnant with the twins you wanted two of everything and I had to bring everything or you would have a fit ma!”

Beth smiled, “I did not!”

“Oh yeah?! You would send me out all times of the night for fast food, Ice cream, pickles, and red slushees.”

“ Your children were always hungry! I had to feed them lol!” 

They both laughed at the memories and Beth squeezed Rio’s hand.

When they pulled up to the MGM grand Beth wasn’t surprised. This was one of their favorite places to come staycation because of all the amenities in one place, and she was glad that she would be able to order a better dinner than the one she’d just had. 

They’d gotten to the room, the presidential suite, and all Beth wanted to do was soak in the bathtub.

“Aye, you wanna do room service?”

“Yeah, I want my usual but can you also add fries?”

“Aight”

Rio called in their usual two filet mignons medium well, asparagus, mashed potatoes, vodka for him, bourbon for Beth, and a side of fries.”

Beth took a bath while Rio waited for room service and then he showered quickly when the food arrived so that they could sit down and eat together.

As they ate dinner and drank they reminisced about the good and bad times they’d had over the years that had gotten them to the place they are now, and it made them both feel grateful. Rio had on a tank and his boxer briefs and Beth had on her pink robe from home.

“Remember when I was 17 and you got arrested?”

“Yeah and you started dating that goofball Dean Boland.”

“Oh stop, he wasn’t that bad!” Beth laughed.

“Yeah if you say so.” Rio smirked.

“I was so mad at you about Tanya, and you didn’t call me that night.”

“I got arrested on the way to your house ma! They impounded my damn car and locked my ass up, and I did call but you didn’t pick up from the numbers my boys called you on.”

“Uhh you’re right! I ignored every number I didn’t know, God I was so mad with you!” Beth laughed.

“You were jealous of nothin ma.”

“It wasn’t nothing. You know she liked you! She was always throwing herself at you and in my face.”

“All the girls did but I only had eyes for you.” Rio smiled at Beth and she bit her bottom lip.

Beth propped her arm up on the table and placed her hand under her chin as she looked at Rio lustfully, tipsy off of the drinks, “Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why did you only have eyes for me?” 

Rio took a sip of his drink, “You were the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen, hell you still are. I wanted you all for me Lizabeth. You were funny, sweet, charming, smart, ambitious, strong, and had curves for days that I wanted to explore. I went to sleep every night thinkin bout you.” 

Beth smiled and crossed her legs tight feeling her lower belly heat up, “What did you think about?”

Rio chuckled and took another swig of his drink, “I thought about kissing you, making love to you, fucking you, tasting that pussy of yours that I knew was so sweet, having you scream my name, ya know typical shit young boys think about.”

Beth giggled and before she could say anything he said, “ but then I got to know you f’real, and I wanted to give you every thin’ you never had. I wanted us to be happy. I wanted to marry you and I wanted you to have my kids. Wanted to see you being all domestic and shit with a big swollen belly wobbling around the house barefooted.”

Beth got teary-eyed, “Well I would say that’s sexist, but you never made me do anything domestic, that’s just me.”

“Yeah, it is ma, that’s how I knew you was gonna be my wife. All them cakes and cookies you used to bring me to school tryna fatten me up.”

Beth laughed , “I did not!”

“You did, but lucky for me I got good genes.” Rio patted his abs on his stomach.

Beth laughed as she wiped her eyes.

“You hated the costumes I made us wear for Halloween every year, but you love my cooking!”

“Naw I love everythin about you, even when you make me dress as a cowboy or a wolf man! You do it for me, always have.”

Beth bit her bottom lip as she looked at Rio lustfully.

“Elizabeth, I’m sorry I didn’t always do right, but you ain’t gotta worry bout that no more.” Rio took the last of his drink and he got up to carry Beth to bed. He reached out for her hands and when she stood up he took both of his hands and grabbed her ass to pull her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, “I’m sorry too.”

They kissed the whole way to the bed.

Rio walked to turn out the main light and then over to the bed where he lowered him self down with Beth on top of him. He was sitting up with Beth still wrapped around him. He pulled out of the kiss and just looked at her with such reverence. He took his left arm and wrapped it around the right side of her neck and face softly as he used his thumb to rub her lips and face.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m out.”

“Huh?”

“I’m out the game. No more fake cash, drugs, choppin cars, nothin.”

“They just let you go? It can’t be that easy Rio!” Beth was getting scared and Rio could see it in her eyes.

“Elizabeth, I’m out, it’s alright. I have immunity for the rest of my life, but I’m out of everythin. No one will bother me, bother us. I did my time. They know they can trust me, hell I did four years and ain’t give anyone else up.”

Beth looked shocked, she was lost for words.

“I bought some properties and when Marcus comes home I want us to break ground on Marks and Co. too, you know go straight, just do family businesses. Some-thin for us to leave the kids.”

“When?” Beth was shocked and she felt herself tearing up but she didn’t want to ruin the moment.

“I been pulling back since I got out but two weeks ago I finalized everything. We gonna be aight ma.”

“You’re not gonna miss it?”

“Naw, I think I paid my dues to the streets, it’s time I put some time in at home.”

Beth didn’t say anything else she just kissed Rio so filthy and he kissed her back.

He untied the belt on Beth’s robe and she was completely naked underneath. He pulled back from their kiss and went straight for her neck licking and sucking as one arm was wrapped around her waist, and the other cupped her left breast rubbing her nipple. She writhed on his lap and his erection started to tighten his underwear. 

“You smell so good Chris, I missed this, I missed us.”

“Me too baby.”

Rio laid back and then flipped Beth so that she would be on her back. 

“Wanna take my time.”

She used her arms to crawl up the bed so that she could lay on the pillows and Rio followed her and laid between her legs.

Beth looked down at him.

Rio kissed down Beth’s leg sucking and biting gently on her skin the closer he got to her pussy. Beth slid her arms out of the robe and reached down to scratch through Rio’s hair knowing it would speed up his ministrations.

He said, “Fuck Elizabeth,” as he went to suck on her clit.

Beth took her hands and scratched through his head again, “Chris, ahhh, oh, fuck it feels so good.”

Rio continued to suck and lick on Beth’s clit using his fingers to work the inside of her fast crooking them against her walls. He looked up at her the entire time past her full breast getting turned on by the guttural sounds she made and her facial expressions.

“Oh fuck it’s too much, it’s-.”

“Oooooooh”

When she came and tried to pull away from him he lifted up and grabbed her by her thighs to pull her back, “Don’t run ma, I ain’t done yet.”

He got on top of her and pulled down his underwear with his right hand. When he got them off he took his hand and cupped her right breast smearing her juices all over the nipple and he sucked it off. Then came back up to kiss her slowly, sensually.

Beth moaned into Rio’s mouth still coming down from her orgasm. She could feel his hard cock against her leg.

He said, “Look at me.” When she did he licked his fingers clean of her and then massaged his dick up and down her folds.

He said, “I love you and I’m never leaving again.”

Beth nodded her head unable to speak as she reached up to place both of her hands at the sides of his face.

Rio spoke, eyes half-lided, with Beth’s juices all over his lips, “ You mine, always have been, always will be.”

He leaned in to her touch to kiss her lips and then he slowly kissed her chin dimple before he started to suck on it, gently licking right where the crease was and Beth said, “I am Chris.”

Rio sank into Beth and even after three children it still felt like the first time. She released her hands to grab at Rio’s ass and squeezed hard as she clenched around him and closed her eyes bracing herself as she took all of him.

“Open your eyes Elizabeth, I wanna see em.”

“I can’t, it’s too much, oohhh fuck.”

“You can and you will.”

Beth bit her lip and wrapped her arms around his back and dig into his skin as she forced her eyes open.

“Want to see them big blues staring at me as I make love to my beautiful wife.” 

He looked into her eyes the entire time they made love until she came. He had his arms wrapped around her back slightly lifting her off of the bed driving into her as she wrapped her legs around his locking them and pressing Rio closer than either of them thought was possible. 

Beth laid on the bed sated, hair splayed across the pillows, and mouth agape. 

Rio was still hard hovering on top of her with his arms at both sides of her body. 

“Turn over ma, we just getting started.”

Beth bit on her lip as she turned over and got on all fours with her forearms and knees planted in the mattress. Her ass was in the air and she looked back at Rio and smirked as she jiggled her ass.

“You’ll let me go all the way ma?”

“Mmmhmm, all the way.”

“Fuck, I love you so much!”

Rio bent forward to kiss down Beth’s back as he rubbed his cock that was still wet from her orgasm between her ass and pussy.

Rio took his cock and slammed into her again from behind. He stood back up fully on his knees and wrapped her long hair into his right hand to grip it and pull her towards him. The sounds her pussy made grabbing his dick filled the room. 

“Oh shit Rio!”

“You like it when I do this huh ma? Your pussy gets so wet for me!”

He squeezed her nipples between his fingers and Beth moaned, “Yes, Yes, Yes, ooohhh yes, fuck me Rio!”

“You want Rio to fuck you, yeah? You know Rio likes bad girls, you gonna be bad for me Elizabeth?”

Beth’s eyes were rolling back and her reply felt lodged into her throat with how fast and hard Rio was penetrating her from behind.

Her voice was guttural as he held her hair tight, “Yeah, fuck me Rio, shoot your cum inside of me.”

“Oh fuck Lizabeth, don’t talk to me like that sweetheart, you know what it does to me.” Rio bit his lip and pulled Beth up to his chest by her hair as he continued to fuck her from behind.

“Oh fuck baby you so sweet.”

“Yeah, that’s what’s you like? Sweet, I thought you liked your bitches bad?”

He palmed her left breast with his left hand and took his right and went to work on her clit. Beth clenched around Rio’s cock and started throwing her ass back at him as she reached back to grab ahold of him.

“Oh fuck, Lizabeth you want me to put another kid in you? Have you walking around all swollen and horny, huh? You talking like that to me.”

Beth cried out as her head went into his shoulder, “It feels so good, right there Rio, right there.”

“I gonna come, I’m gonna come, oh fuck.”

Rio pulled out of Beth as she orgasmed and helped guide her back toward the bed. She grabbed at the sheets as she came down from her third orgasm.

Rio put her back on her knees and started eating her ass from behind.

Beth moaned loudly, “I can’t take anymore, ohh fuck Rio.”

Rio lifted his head up from what he was doing, “Touch your pussy Lizabeth, now!”

Beth smirked and looked back at Rio, “No!”

“You know what to do when you complain mama, do it.”

Beth moaned, “Come on, make me Rio!”

Rio lifted up from what eating her ass and slipped a finger in instead as he slapped her right ass cheek, “ Oh you a bad girl Elizabeth, what I say?” 

Beth’s voice was honeyed as she continued to defy Rio. She knew what she was doing and it was driving Rio wild, “ I said no.”

Rio slapped her ass again harder but she still didn’t do what he told her, what she knew she was supposed to do.

Rio said, “You on punishment darlin,” before he took his finger out and proceeded to work his cock into Beth’s ass.

“Oh fuck, punish me, do it, I’m not scared!”

“You so bad baby, I love it, drive me crazy.”

Beth stopped teasing Rio and she took the three fingers and finally put them in her mouth. She licked and sucked on them as he stroked her long and hard. 

“Now don’t take them out until I tell you too, yeah? I wanna hear you sucking your sweetness off of your fingers darlin.”

“It tastes good huh?”

Beth nodded her head at Rio whimpering, “Mmmm hmm.”

“ That’s what makes me go crazy over you, always has, and I don’t want no one else having you ever again aight?”

“Mmmm hmm, no one.” Beth’s words were muffled.

Rio grabbed Beth ass as he worked into her more, his climax was so close, she was so tight.

“You mine, all mine.”

Beth sated as she cried into the bed as Rio was sending her into yet another orgasm.  
He finally came as he rubbed Beth’s clit that was now swollen from their activities. She jerked away and Rio pulled out of her to lay down beside her on the bed. They laid facing each other, with Rio kissing Beth and their arms wrapped around each other at the waist.

“I won’t be able to walk tomorrow.”

“Don’t tell me you can’t keep up with me anymore ma!”

Beth hit Rio on the chest as she giggled, “Oh shut up, it’s been awhile.

They laid in bed for a bed just holding each other.

Rio kissed her forehead as he got up,” I’mma run us a bath ma.”

“Ok.” Beth enjoyed herself but she was so tired and had been with Marcus nearly all day while the twins were at school. She couldn’t wait for Marcus to come home, so that she wouldn’t spend so much time away from the girls, and home, but she hated leaving him alone.

Rio came back to the bed after he ran new bath water.

He climbed back into bed and pulled Beth into him, “We gonna be just fine.”

Beth snugged into Rio. She missed being intimate with her husband. Their chemistry was magnetic from day one many years ago, and once they had made love when Beth was seventeen she knew that she never wanted to be with anyone else.

She looked up and him, “Yeah, we are.”

9 months later

“B, I don’t know how you do it!” Ruby is carrying out Beth’s baby shower cake to her backyard.

The kids are all playing outside with Rio, Mick, and Stan running after them.

Beth turned around with one hand on her back and the other holding Marcus.

“Well we always wanted a big family and now that Christopher is home more I don’t mind. I think this is it for us though!” 

Annie chimes in sarcastically, “You two can’t keep your hands off of each other I’m kinda jealous!” 

“Oh please! Mom told me that you and Carla can’t keep your hands off of each other either, so I’m not trying to hear it! You just can’t give her a baby to show for it!”

“I’m gonna kill her when she gets here!”

Beth and Ruby laughed.

“Mommy down.” Marcus squirmed in Beth’s arms. 

“Wait for daddy Mar.”

Beth called for Rio over to the picnic tables, and he looked over at Beth holding Mar, and Mar holding his arms out grabbing for Rio from all the way across the lawn.

He ran over, “Hey pop, you wanna get down?”

“Babe, you shouldn’t be picking him up. He’s getting too heavy and he can walk.” He reached to take Mar and kissed Beth on the forehead.

“Well he’s too quick and I don’t want him to get hurt running behind you guys,he’s my baby, and plus Annie picked him up and gave him to me.”

Rio rubbed Beth’s belly with his free hand, “Aight mama, I guess I’ll be rubbing your back later.”

“Daddy, Daddy.” Mar was trying to get Rio’s attention as he watched the other kids playing in the yard.

“Aight Mar, we gonna go play with your cousins and sisters.”

Rio went back to keep the children occupied while Beth, Annie, and Ruby tended to the food and other guests.

Beth never had a shower for Marcus so Ruby and Annie convinced her to throw one for the new baby, who ended up being another girl.

3 months later

Beth gave birth to another little girl and they named her Gia Rose Garcia Marks. This baby came out the splitting image of Beth with the exception of her tan skin like Rio she had light blond hair, no chin dimple, and blue eyes. 

Rio had settled in well to being a stay at home dad/entrepreneur along with Beth. He was enjoying watching his children grow up and spending time with them without feeling like he he had to step away for business 24/7.

As he laid in bed with Beth, Marcus, and Gia he just smiled as he took in the whole scene in front of him.

“What are you smiling about?” Beth was holding a half sleep Gia as she breastfed. Marcus was sleep in between both of them.

“I’m jus thinking of you and our babies. I can’t believe I was missing all of this everyday.”

“I miss having our bed to ourselves.” Both of them laughed as they looked down at Marcus sleeping with his thumb in his mouth.

“He’s just bein spoiled because of Gia, he didn’t have enough time being the only baby.”

“Oh, I know, earlier he had a tantrum when I gave him a cup at lunch while you were at the twins school, because he said that he wanted to eat like the baby. There’s no way I’m gonna still breast feed him at one-years-old with teeth, so we better have some bribes up our sleeves until this jealousy phase is over.”

They both laughed and Beth said, “Can you put him in his bed? If he gets out he can come back, but he needs to try sleeping in his room.”

Beth had been keeping Gia in a bassinet in her and Rio’s room until she got a little older, so once she was done feeding she kissed her little cheeks saying, “Good night mommies snooks,” and laid her down for bed.

When Rio came back to bed he snuggled up to Beth and kissed her forehead. 

“I love you Elizabeth.”

She looked up at him as he held her in his arms, “I love you too Chris.”

And this time they did live happily ever after💌

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for bearing with me as this was my first fanfic and it was hard to end it, but here we are! I can now finish some other fics I have and start some new ones! Anyways, The end💋.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey Good Girls fandom! I hope that you join me along for this ride, it’s gonna be good! I’m excited to get all of my ideas out in this unique space that I have grown to love so much! Leave me comments of what you liked, didn’t like, or any suggestions and I may take them into consideration with management! Who is that you ask, well me! Lol


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